Breathe Me (A Sleeping Beauty Retelling)
by Airrah11
Summary: KaZe, FemZero, Princess (hunter) Zero, Prince (vampire) Kaname. Rating may change. "I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream/I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam/And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem/But if I know you, I know what you'll do/You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream."
1. Once Upon a Dream

**_A/N: Well some of my favorite VK fanfictions are fairytale retellings, so I figured I'd try my hand. Since I don't want to utterly scar ya'll I will not be working with Grimm's Brier-Rose or Perrault's The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood and uh, definitely not the original Italian tale, I will be basing this story on Disney's version of the tale. Though I do recommend you read those because you will be shocked and appalled. ;) And yes, I recognize I have a VK fanfic obsession right now. Anyway, please leave any questions/comments/opinions in the reviews (leave questions under an account and I will PM you your answers). As always, please Fave, FOLLOW, and (!) REVIEW (!). Enjoy :)_**

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Zero had been but a child when the curse was laid down upon her.

"Lips as red as the rose, hair kissed by the moon, she will grow in grace and beauty- but as the sun sets on her seventeenth birthday- your princess will find her blood devoured by the most monstrous of beasts and as the moon takes to the sky- she will _die_."

Of course, she had never known about the curse- not before the morning of her seventeenth birthday anyway- but she had often fancied a life as a princess and her godfather had rushed to give her as much as he could- lavishing her with tales of knights in shining armor, sleeping beauties, poisoned apples, and of course- a handsome prince.

But she was not to know that she truly was a princess- she was not to know that she would not live past her first night as a woman of marrying age.

So it should come as no surprise that she had led a rather small life- in her soul of souls craving adventure.

Oh wouldn't it be wonderful to travel the world? To travel to the land of silks, to the lands of riches in the south? Where the jewels they summoned from the earth were as big as her head- oh, it could bring a smile to her face just to think of it all.

But she doubted that she would ever get the chance- no, she was just some young peasant girl living a small life in a comfortable cottage in the middle of the Autumn Woods.

"Zero-chan!" Her godfather called in a high pitched squeal, making the silver haired girl laugh quiety and roll her eyes in reply.

"Yes, Otou-san?" She asked, flitting off of the balcony and inside to see Kaien parading about her small attic room, flinging her few gowns onto her bed, eyeing each so critically that she knew he had not heard her refer to him as her father.

She was glad of it- she didn't need to acquire even more hearing damage.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before casting a navy colored gown at her head- probably the finest dress she owned.

She slid behind the dressing screen and unlaced her plain corset and taking off her drab dress for the navy gown, sighing as the soft silk tickled her skin.

Kaien cast another corset over the screen and she sighed before donning it- it was far less worn and therefore far less comfortable, but she had learned to never argue with the man.

She stepped out a moment later and slid her flats back on, giving a twirl.

He pulled her over to the full length mirror that sat in the corner, braiding her long silver waves back with violet ribbon that matched her eyes.

Kaien was gentle as he worked and she scanned her features quietly.

She was the fairest woman she had ever met- not that she had met very many women- but the men that she lived with had said as much themselves.

Kaito used to tease her mercilessly about her lips that seemed permanently drawn into a pout, he also used to tease her about the very color of them- a dark red- to which she had thrown a book at him for, calling him a perv for staring at her lips.

He had ducked only to fall back onto his ass and hit his head on the hearth's mantle.

For a hunter he was _very_ clumsy.

But that had been when they were both small- now Kaito had grown into his gangly limbs and if she wasn't sickened by the very idea she would entertain the idea of perhaps marrying herself to him one day.

But no, Kaito was more like an overbearing older brother than anything else.

Zero smoothed her hands over her skirt.

It was a full gown, only cinching in really at the waist with the help of the tight corset- which even she could admit was a beauty to look at.

"Now, Zeroin." Kaien began, "Be sure to be back by tonight- we are taking you to town for your birthday."

Zero rolled her eyes though she was incredibly excited at getting to leave the forest for once.

"What I want to know is why I couldn't have changed later…"

Kaien blushed and she knew then that the thought had not occurred to him.

She laughed and kissed his cheek before holding her arm out for the cloak he held in his arm.

When he handed it to her though, she nearly flinched.

"Is that?"

"Yes, I had it made for you as pay for my last job." Kaien sniffled and she beamed at him.

 _Prepare for the waterworks._

"Thank you, Otou-san."

He burst into tears and thankfully didn't hug her too tight before wrapping the navy and silver cloak around her shoulders, pulling the hood up to sit atop her head.

"My Zero-chan! So grown up! Touga! Come see our Zero-chan."

"My ass ain't gettin' up for the King himself, let alone that brat."

Zero narrowed her eyes and flitted out of the room, down the stairs and into the small parlor Kaien had crafted for them.

He stared at her with his one eye before his lips teased into a grimace/grin thing.

She'd take it.

"Thank you too, sensei."

"At least _you_ have enough sense not to call me 'Otouto' unlike _somebody_ we know."

Kaito scoffed in the kitchen before coming into the room to oh-so-creepily stare at Zero.

He whistled, "You clean up nice Zero- _hime_."

She cocked her head at an angle and he held up his hands in surrender, "Oh I definitely meant -chan, I definitely didn't say -hime, no I didn't…"

She smiled and crossed the room, kissing him lightly on the cheek before darting into the kitchen to grab her basket.

"I'll go pick some berries for tomorrow- I promised to bake _someone_ blackberry pie, didn't I?"

She danced her way out of their home, leaving the men alone together in the parlor.

"We should have told her already." Kaito growled out and Touga nodded slowly.

Kaien sighed, "Let her have this time to herself- come next full moon she will be both married _and_ a princess."

Touga grumbled, "To that Kuran brat of all people- of all vampires."

Kaien rolled his eyes, "Touga-kun, they have been engaged since she was born and her brother cannot marry the prince as you well know."

"I've heard tales from town that her brother won't survive the week- his is too frail to be moved any longer." Kaito drawled.

Kaien chewed on his lip with worry, "I do wish we had told her she had a _twin_ of all things. She will be quite put out with us for keeping so many secrets., but I get the feeling that she will be most angry to only be able to know Ichiru-sama for a few days if what Kaito-kun says is true."

They sighed in unison.

Touga smirked at Kaien after a moment, "You do know they'll just redress her when we get to the castle, right?"

Kaien let out a keening moan, "Touga-kun, you would taunt me so?"

Kaito and Yagari merely cocked a brow in response.


	2. State of Seduction

**_A/N: Don't worry, I didn't forget this story! I just got back into writing so I will be continuing it! It's just taking me a while since this story hasn't been shown a lot of interest in, so I haven't gotten back to it as quickly. Anyway: enjoy! :)_**

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Kaname Kuran was not pleased to be marrying in general- especially not to a hunter of all creatures- but he had decided a year ago that he would do as he was bid to by Haruka and Juri- his parents of sorts.

They were not really his parents- no, in truth he was their Ancestor, the founder of their line.

He had been brought back from an eternal rest by the blood of their newborn babe as fed to him by a royal defector- his 'parents' elder brother, Rido.

But Rido had not known properly who he was awakening- nor had he known how to properly forge a master bond with Kaname, resulting in the dual eyed pureblood stealing away into the night, leaving Haruka and Juri to discover a newly awakened ancestor standing above their dead child.

Juri had cried and screamed and Kaname had been hit with a wave of guilt like he never had in his previous life- he had sworn from then on to do whatever he could to repay them, though he had long suspected that promise to be foolish to make.

They had not blamed him for it- why, he had never properly known.

The blood of the babe had not given him the strength to remain as an adult for long and so he was forced to regress his physical age to that of an infant, Haruka and Juri taking him in to 'raise' as their own.

But they had another child when he was ten years old in form- a baby girl by the name of Yuki.

It had been a surprise- and he had already been betrothed to the hunter princess who had been born two years previous to assure an alliance in the name of peace between their two races.

Kaname had not detested the alliance until years after Yuki's birth, until she had asked him to promise that they would be like their parents.

She had been too young to explain the betrothal properly, but he had sworn it to her nonetheless-unable to stop himself from doing so as her big eyes pleaded with him.

He had told himself that he'd find a way to defy the betrothal- but by now he had found his way.

The hunter princess would die off eventually- her life but a blink in the eye of a vampire- and so he had explained that to Yuki when she discovered the betrothal- telling her, promising her that they would be together when the princess breathed her last.

She believed him, and he swore he would never lie to her again.

He had not heard of the princess's curse- indeed, not even his parents had in full.

They had all known the princess was in hiding for safety reasons, of course. But it wasn't until Seiren, Kaname's right hand, had investigated that they had realized that the princess' life was already cut down so short.

The Kuran's had said nothing of breaking the marriage alliance however, had not breathed a word of breaking it even after hearing the extent of the prophecy on the princess' life.

It did put them on fragile ice though- that a vampire would be the one to kill her.

Kaname had vowed he would try and protect her in the letter to the Kiryu King- but it wasn't as if he had ever met the girl- nor had he ever actually met any of the Kiryu's in reality.

The King had been kind in his letter back, but had promised that they would not end the treaty after her death- mostly because they knew the curse came from Rido, and Rido was a known defector.

Kaname had released a sigh of relief when he had read the reply, but still, he knew to be careful.

But that had been two years ago- and he was twenty-five now- the princess' birthday being tonight as he and a small party travelled through the dense Autumn Woods to reach the Hunter Kingdom's capital some thirty miles away by horse.

Tonight he would arrive at the Castle, and tomorrow he would officially meet the princess as she was welcomed home. And by tomorrow night they would be married.

Joy.

He was grateful now for the density of the overhanging trees, the leaves a mass of golds, rubies, and dark browns as daylight streamed through thin windows, leaving his skin only a bit irritated as they progressed down the main road.

He was travelling some ways ahead of his party though and his parents were a ways behind them, so he was free to think clearly with little interruptions except for the billowing leaves in the cool breeze and the rustling of forest undergrowth by scuttering woodland animals.

In fact, he was only knocked free of his thoughts when a lilting melody began to reach his ears from the southeast.

" _Creating chaos just to prove we're alive. Demolition of a delicate kind.."_

He spurred his steed to a steady trot, trying to decipher the words of the song as he drew closer to the voice.

" _Midnight confessions keep on blurring the line. Say you're here on my side. Want you here on my side..."_

He urged the horse faster and headed off the road and into the untamed parts of the woods, following the trace of such a voice down ravines and across streams.

" _You keep my heart under the cover of night. Could be the devil in a clever disguise. Temptation leads us, it's too late for goodbye…"_

In fact, it was only as he had drawn so close as to taste the disturbance of the voice in the air that he noticed he had reached a dilapidated river bridge.

" _Say you're here on my side. Want you here on my side. Come undone with me…"_

With barely a thought he used his telekinesis to patch the slats of the bridge back together before crossing, his clothes dampening at the close spray of water.

" _Diving into destruction. Come undone with me. In the state of seduction. Come undone with me…"_

Kaname pushed on down a hidden path of sorts, sliding off his horse as the voice grew stronger- somehow even more alluring than before.

" _Twisting and turning all according to plan. Your secret's safe until there's blood on my hands. Push me away but we're still victims of chance…"_

Nothing had sounded so beautiful to his ears- nothing in this life or the one before.

He had to see the singer for himself.

" _And we're here in the light. Now we're here in the light. We waged a war against the ghosts of the past. No one noticed they were under attack…"_

He ghosted over the undergrowth, his boots silent against the grass, no branch cracking beneath his steady feet as he slid forward into a small clearing.

" _We wanted freedom now there's no turning back. Cause we're here in the light. And I'm here on your side. Say you're staying till your last dying breath…."_

His eyes zeroed in on a cloaked woman.

Her back was facing him and her arms were stretched out as she slowly danced her way around an ancient tree.

He approached her like a ghost till he was but three yards away.

" _I wanna love you til there's absolutely nothing. I wanna love you til there's absolutely nothing left…"_

He closed the distance and wrapped a hand around her wrist twirling her around as she sang the last line of her song.

" _Come undone with me…"_

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 _ **A/N: As always, leave any questions/inquiries in the reviews and I will reply as soon as I know I have them! Please FOLLOW and (!) REVIEW (!). My question for ya'll this chapter is (and I always ask this in every VK fanfic, I know, lol):** What is your impression on this Kaname? How do you think Zero will react to his appearance? **Let me know in the reviews! Suggestions are also welcome. Also, if you want a favorite scene included from the Disney Sleeping Beauty movie, let me know and I'll be sure to do it! Thanks for reading! :)**_


	3. Hide

**_A/N: Here is the third chapter of Breathe Me! Thank you to those who have replied to this story, I really REALLY appreciate it! Enjoy :)_**

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Zero ripped her arm free of the man's hold and nearly fell back as she rushed in a twirl of skirts to get a glance at his face. Thankfully he stabilized her with another hand before releasing her but in her rush, her hood blew off her head and her braid whipped out as well, nearly whipping the man in her surprise.

He was tall with a strong muscular build, easily dominating her average frame. Outfitted in a high quality white tunic and black military coat, he cut an imposing figure beneath her violet gaze and she fell back a step more to put space between them as she took in the rest of him.

His black pants were well-tailored and perfectly pressed, running into rich red-brown leather boots that were accented with what was sure to be real gold metal works- the same gold metal works that acted as buttons on his coat.

Her eyes flickered to the crest ring on his forefinger- a golden rose.

It struck her as familiar, but she couldn't quite guess where she had seen it before.

"You have a beautiful voice…" He complimented and her eyes flashed to his face.

His lips were upturned slightly into a charming smirk, a dimple appearing in his cheek beside the wry grin.

Her eyes next locked on his own- _they was something quite beautiful about them…_

They were a warm chocolate-wine color and they seemed amused and never seemed to leave her face.

She felt herself flush as he scanned her up and down.

"Do I know you?" She asked, smoothing a hand down her skirts, her breathing harsh even to her own ears.

 _Damn this corset!_

He stepped closer, "I don't think so… But I'd like to get to know you…"

She swallowed, "Zero."

He smirked once more, "Zero."

She took another step back but he grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her back, her chest colliding against his.

"Aren't you going to ask my name, Zero?"

She swallowed, "Should I?"

His smirk deepened, "Probably not- plausible deniability and all that."

In a flash she found her back against the ancient tree she had come to visit, her breath leaving her for a full moment as she felt him bend his neck to inhale her scent.

"I d-don't understand…"

 _What is he?_

 _How hadn't she noticed them move?_

He gently tapped his lips against her throat, kissing her collar gently before whispering in her ear.

"Sing for me, Zero."

"Wh-what?"

" _Sing_ for me." He bid, "I will leave if you wish- but only if you let me listen to your voice once more as a parting gift."

"Someone is presumptuous," She snarked quietly and he chuckled, stepping back to gift her with a soft smile.

"Yes, but it hasn't failed me yet."

 _Who is he?_

 _How can he look so perfect- so beautiful?_

 _So inhu-no- he must be human. No vampire has set foot in these woods for almost ten years._

He must be human- maybe he was a foreign dignitary.

Yes- that had to be it, especially given his dress.

Zero pushed up off the tree and swallowed, spinning around so her back was to him.

Kaito had always teased her for being shy- and she was, who could blame her? She had only met a handful of people in her life, after all.

She wrung her hands as she searched her memory for a song she knew like the back of her hand.

She blew out a breath and was careful not to face him as she began, her face flushed with embarrassment.

" _Waste away, I'm crawling blind. Followed by what I left inside, For you, just you. I'm caught in place, but I ignore what I can't erase…"_

She flinched and stilled when his hand wrapped up her own, slinging her around to face him.

He pulled her close, placing his other hand on her waist.

She swallowed and began again.

" _I will run and hide until memories fade away. and I will leave behind a love so strong…"_

He hummed the tune to the song beneath his voice, his eyes falling closed as she sang- almost as if he took more pleasure in it than she did.

" _Close my eyes, these voices stay. Haunting me, I can't escape. For you, just you- time will always wait, while I throw away what I can't replace…"_

It was a sad song but it was one she had always loved when she found the book containing the lyrics as a child in their cottage.

She closed her eyes and fell into the music of it, not noticing the man begin to lead her around in a small dance as she sang.

" _I will run and hide until memories fade away and I will leave behind a love so strong…"_

Her eyes did not stray from his face- his perfect features taking pleasure in her voice even as she realized something was off about his features.

The words of the song seemed lost on him- seemed like they didn't matter.

Whereas she lost herself in the meaning of the lyrics, he seemed to barely take note of them- no, he was entranced not by the song- but by _her_.

" _I will run and hide until memories fade away and I will leave behind a love so strong…"_

Zero twirled when he released her and when he caught her she saw his eyes open to seep over her once more- to hover over each of her facial features.

She thought she saw some beautiful unknown emotion in his eyes- but it was as if he locked it away never to be seen again.

When she blinked the moment of beauty was gone and she closed her eyes as her voice took hold once more.

" _I will run and hide and I will leave behind…"_

A teardrop began to run down her cheek- then another.

" _I will run and hide until memories fade away and I will leave behind a love so strong…"_

Her breath stuttered for a moment- emotions she had never found outside of song flooding her and overcoming her in a wave.

" _I will never find…"_

She opened her eyes to feel his fingers brush away the tears that had slid down her cheeks.

He was looking down at her in what looked like pity and for some reason she couldn't bear it- not at all.

"Don't look at me like that!" She chided.

She withdrew from him and wiped her cheek with a hand, twirling away to grab her basket from the base of the tree.

"Look at you how, Zero?"

He spoke her name with an alluring purr and she swallowed tightly.

"You have nothing to pity me for," She sighed.

"I don't pity you- I pity the world when it loses your voice." He drawled, his arms wrapping around her to pull her back to face him.

His warm breath commanded her to look at him- but she couldn't- not when she suspected what he actually meant.

Not when she suspected what he actually was.

"Humans are such foolish short-lived creatures," He muttered, "Know that I will never forget you even after you're gone."

She stood still as a statue, her eyes downcast at her quivering hands.

Gripping the handle of the basket tight she looked up and he was gone.

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 ** _A/N: As always, leave your quesitons/inquiries in the REVIEWs and I will reply as soon as I receive them! Please FOLLOW for more and (!) REVIEW (!) your opinions, impressions, critiques, etc... My questions for ya'll this chapter:_** _How do you think Kaname sees Zero in this chapter? What do you think thus far?_ ** _Let me know in the reviews! Thanks for reading! :)_**


	4. Black Hole Sun

Kaname flitted away from the clearing, quickly riding back to the main path where he found Seiren waiting for him at the rest point beneath a willow tree next to a cool stream.

The rest of his party lay scattered about on a break, his closest friend sitting up when he spotted him.

"Kaname-ouji! We thought you had decided to ride all the way at once!"

Kaname waved Takuma off, "No, I just got a bit distracted."

Eyebrows rose among the party members.

Kaname sighed- they all knew him too well.

He was never one to be distracted, so he knew what they must be thinking.

Aido looked like he was itching to ask, but Kaname didn't want to encourage him, nor was he inclined to explain himself.

Zero was his secret.

Her voice was stunning- sweeter than any siren's- but she had been even more captivating.

He had never seen someone quite like her.

Long silver hair almost like moonlight against her fair skin, lips redder than any rosebud, and those eyes…

Violet eyes.

When he thought of her it was as if he could still feel her gaze upon his face, searching him for all that he was.

It was too bad she was human- he might have taken her for a mistress if she were a vampire.

 _You would have done more than that if she were a pureblood…._

Kaname knew that well- because when he had been with her he hadn't even thought of the hunter princess, nor had he even so much as recalled his Yuki.

 _If only she were the princess instead…._

But there was no way she was royal- her clothes, while not threadbare, had been cheaper made than anything a princess would wear.

Kaname guided his horse to the stream to drink and set about removing the beautiful silverette from his mind as he joined Takuma and Seiren to discuss the plans for their arrival.

The rest of his party- Hanabusa Aidou, Akatsuki Kain, Senri Shiki, Rima Touya, and Ruka Souen- lounged about the grassy underbrush atop blankets, some of them sharing blood as well as the bloodwine they had brought along to prepare for being surrounded by humans.

"How far are my family?" Kaname asked Seiren.

"They will be with us by the princess' presentation," The grey haired female supplied.

Kaname sighed, "And how is Yuki?"

"Yuki-hime decided to remain at the capital with her guards and personal staff. She does not plan on leaving the capital until you return to the capital with your bride in spring." Takuma replied and Kaname bit back another sigh.

He could not blame her- he knew very well that she did not want to live with the Kiryu princess at all.

No, by then she would be his Queen- he reminded himself.

 _If_ she lived that long, that is.

He had been told by Haruka and Juri that they would step down as soon as he returned from his honeymoon.

The elder Kuran couple had never wanted to be royal, but they had taken up that stead rather than let the supremacy switch lines after Rido abandoned vampire kind.

Kaname had demanded that they not ever allow that to happen- it was a line they knew better than to cross.

He had built vampire society from the ground up- he had been their world's first ruler- and he would rather die in truth than allow his hard earned supremacy to switch to another line.

They spent another hour stretching out and drinking their fill from one another and a few bottles of bloodwine before beginning their journey once more, Kaname yet again ending up the farthest ahead.

He shouldn't have- thoughts of the silverette began to permeate his mind once again as he found himself alone, the sun beginning to stretch toward the horizon as the hours wore on.

Her eyes had been full of life- full of emotions that he couldn't recall the last time he had taken to acknowledge in himself and when he had seen her begin to cry he couldn't help but be taken even more with her.

She was so full of life herself, so vibrant- passion pouring out from her voice.

The words could have been completely foreign to him for all they mattered.

No- her voice, her emotions, had been the star of the show she had gifted him with.

He had nearly kissed her when her eyes had fallen closed- when her breath stuttered out from her lips as her voice became fraught with pain.

Thankfully he had withdrawn before he could do anything- he was smarter than that- he knew he couldn't risk the marriage alliance.

It had been the one thing Haruka and Juri had ever asked for him- to help them put an end to the war between vampire and hunter in any way he could.

It would be foolish to wayleigh the easiest way- it would be foolish to endanger the treaty by dabbling with another woman.

A mortal woman.

And to think he had thought of mortals which such disdain but a few hours previous!

But oh, now he was thinking of one and no one else.

 _Zero_.

Her name rolled off his tongue like a purr.

He had not failed to note how she had drawn unwittingly closer in those moments, even when she had taken a step away but a moment previous.

The woods began to thin out and woodlands flooded out into ravines. In the distance he could make out the hunter's walled capital- thick white stone walls too sleek to climb, the city's gates the first hint of color he spotted along the large city's visage-the mountainous doors what looked like solid gold.

They glimmered in the dying daylight and welcomed his eyes as he urged his horse onward.

The large beast snorted and began to trot down the incline of the hill he had stood on to take it in.

His vampire senses tingled this close to the city putting him on edge as he drove on into what should have been enemy territory.

He could sense his party approach at a steady pace behind him and he slowed long enough for them to catch up so they could reach the city as one.

Kaname blew out a breath.

Three nights- that's all that it is.

Three nights in the Hunter Capital- just long enough to marry and celebrate before he was off to the Winter castle in the Northern reaches of his homeland for a honeymoon he did not want.

"Kaname-ouji," Takuma greeted as he sped up to reach the pureblood.

"Takuma."

The blonde smiled at him, "Are you nervous?"

Kaname shook his head just barely, "No."

He was not nervous- he was bitter that this was what awaited him.

But he swallowed it down without sign to the others.

Takuma kept his grin, "I've heard the Kiryu prince takes after the Silent Queen. His sister supposedly resembled him identically at birth."

Kaname nodded, "I suppose we'll find out. Both the Kiryu's and the Silent Queen were never painted so we have nothing to go on but rumor."

"I've always wondered why they never allow themselves to be immortalized in art…" Takuma drawled.

Kaname rolled his eyes, "Hunters are superstitious creatures. They believe there souls may be captured and kept from the afterlife if they are accurately painted. If all the emotions they have are captured perfectly in their eyes."

Takuma grinned brighter, "Well, I have no doubt she'll make you happy, Kaname-ouji."

He cocked a brow at his friend, "Why is that?"

"There is a tale that they tell to hunter children here that the prince and princess were gifted by the old gods."

Kaname scoffed, "'Old gods'- the hunters religions are amusing, but I have no doubt they are just stories. Not to mention that people all across the continent have heard the truth about the Kiryu prince. Everyone knows he is but a breath away from death's door."

Takuma glanced away for a moment before turning back to him with a wistful look in his green eyes, "I don't know, Kaname-ouji."

They rode on and the sun set beneath the horizon, chiming bells and the sounds of celebration weaving through the crisp night air for greeting as they approached the gates.

Up close they were both intimidating and beautiful, with engravings of the Old Hunts surrounding a blank oval in the center of the two doors- no, the oval was not empty. As they came closer and the doors came open, a magic torch appeared in the center, its flames warm and bright.

Kaname blew out another breath and offered himself one last comforting thought.

 _Three Nights. Only Three Nights._


	5. My Jolly Sailor Bold

**_A/N: Here is the fifth chapter of Breathe Me! Thank you to everyone who has responded, I really appreciate it! Be sure to continue to let me know what you think in the reviews! Enjoy :)_**

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Zero had run home after the meeting with the unnamed man, her heart stuttering along with her breath every time she thought back to his face- to his words to her.

" _Humans are such foolish short-lived creatures," He muttered, "Know that I will never forget you even after you're gone."_

Zero forced herself to slow as she approached the cottage as the forests began to glow brighter in the afternoon sun.

She stilled in the treeline for a moment before blowing out a breath and skipping down the slight incline to where the cottage sat undisturbed, the smell of cooked chicken wafting out from the chimney as she reached the door and entered.

Familiar bickering invaded her ears and she smiled as she pushed thoughts of the man aside, tossing her cloak onto the hook by the door.

Banging began to trickle into the front of the house as she followed the sounds to the kitchen where Yagari and Kaien were arguing (well, Kaien was crying about the unfairness of Yagari and Yagari was mocking her godfather in return, anyway).

Kaito was cleaning his weapons on top of the table but quickly rushed to hide them when he spotted her in the doorway- knowing she would threaten to come after him with those same blades if he got oil on the tabletop again.

She cocked a brow at him but said nothing.

"Zero-chan!" Kaien cried, "Daddy has prepared your favorite!"

Kaito mouthed the truth to her, "Don't worry- I fixed it."

She smiled and thanked them before setting the table for them to eat.

After a silent meal she and Kaito walked outside while the other males readied themselves for the ride into town via the hidden hunter road nearby.

It would take them to the Capital within four or five hours and Kaien had already told her that they would stay there for the night before they were to return after the annual celebration of the prince's birth.

Zero was excited at the prospect of seeing the city for the first time- at seeing other people for the first time.

She inadvertently thought back to the unnamed man- no, he had to be a vampire.

It was silly to think it- no vampire was foolish enough to wander these woods alone- not since it was so close to the hunter's capital in the valley just through the main pass.

"Something on your mind, Zero-hime?" Kaito teased and Zero blew out a breath.

"Mmm, for once, yes."

Kaito's eyebrows rose, "And that would be?"

"I…" She sighed.

Kaito wouldn't tell anyone, or at least Zero was fairly confident he wouldn't.

"I met someone in the glade today," She breathed and Kaito tensed, his muscular form stilling to that of a statue.

"I didn't ask his name, before you ask." She continued, "He was… odd."

"'Odd', how?"

She turned to make eye contact with Kaito but quickly glanced away under the weight of his gaze.

"I think he was a vampire."

It was silent for a few heavy moments.

Zero pursed her lips, "He didn't hurt me, I think he was just passing through."

"How was he dressed?" Kaito finally asked after a moment.

"Richly- he must be from their capital. I suppose he must have been an emissary. Or a messenger, anyway."

Kaito relaxed after a moment, "He must have gotten separated from his party. There is a congregation of vampires headed to the hunter capital for the celebrations."

Zero's brow soared, "Why? Why would they care about a hunter's celebrations?"

"Because the princess is coming of age in the coming days. She is to be married to their prince to secure an alliance."

The words seemed bitter for Kaito, but Zero chocked it up to him just being disgusted with the idea of the alliance. Kaito had always hated the idea of brokering peace between their two groups, even if it was abundantly clear that neither side was winning.

Her interest perked up with the mention of an unknown princess.

"I thought the Kiryu's only had a son?"

"No," Kaito sighed, "I'll tell you all about it when we get to the capital, though. I promise."

Zero pursed her lips once more but nodded.

Once Kaito committed himself she knew he could be trusted without a doubt to follow through- it was just who he was.

They didn't speak of the princess again, nor did Kaito ask anything more about the vampire she had seen.

Later, on the road, it struck her as odd.

Kaito had always been overprotective of her- had always wanted to know if she ever came across anything in the forest she hadn't seen there before.

 _So why is he acting so… off?_

When they set off from the cottage the sun was already setting beneath the horizon so Zero took to singing to keep awake and none of the others objected.

" _Upon one summer's morning_

 _I carefully did stray_

 _Down by the Walls of Wapping_

 _Where I met a sailor gay_

" _Conversing with a young lass_

 _Who seem'd to be in pain_

 _Saying, William, when you go_

 _I fear you'll ne'er return again_

" _My heart is pierced by Cupid_

 _I disdain all glittering gold_

 _There is nothing can console me_

 _But my jolly sailor bold…"_

The trees still hung tight to the road they traversed, dense canopies overhanging and keeping their path dark.

They had charmed torches to guide their way, casting just enough light to keep them safe as night firmly wrapped around them.

Kaito road on ahead of them while Yagari took the back, leaving Kaien and Zero to ride firmly between them, Zero's arms wrapped tight around her godfather's midsection as she sang quietly.

" _His hair it hangs in ringlets_

 _His eyes as black as coal_

 _My happiness attend him_

 _Wherever he may go_

" _From Tower Hill to Blackwall_

 _I'll wander, weep and moan_

 _All for my jolly sailor_

 _Until he sails home_

" _My heart is pierced by Cupid_

 _I disdain all glittering gold_

 _There is nothing can console me_

 _But my jolly sailor bold…"_

Zero gave a soft yawn but Kaien quickly hushed her as they came upon the main road.

"Another party approaches."

They quickly stepped fully upon the main road where the pass began to give way to the valley and covered up their hidden path with hunter charms.

However the party was approaching at a steady pace and quickly caught up to them after they had travelled a half mile ahead.

A rider appeared, followed by another.

"Vampires…" Yagari warned.

"Their horses wear the Kuran crest," Kaien breathed.

Zero and Kaito kept silent as Kaito fell back to ride next to the silverette and Kaien.

He was nervous- she could tell.

The first rider slowed as they approached, the second quickly following.

Thankful for the torches, Zero could just make the figure out- a female.

She wore a fine riding habit of warm crimson velvet and chocolate fleece, a hat pinned into her dark hair.

The crest Kaien had spoken of- a golden rose- served as the cloth between the horse and the saddle.

"Kaien? Is that you, my friend?" She asked, her voice silky smooth and brimming with excitement.

Kaien released a sigh of relief beneath Zero's fingertips, and she pulled back a hand to bring her cloak in closer around her, obscuring her from the vampiress' view as she felt the female's warm gaze settle down atop her briefly.

"Juri-oujo! It has been a long time!" Kaien greeted with a grin as the vampiress' partner appeared next to her.

Juri pouted at him, "Kaien, we are friends- there are no needs for honorifics among friends!"

Wait, 'Juri- _oujo_?

The Kuran queen?

"Hello, Kaien!" The other rider- a man- smiled and pulled down his cloak.

He wore a king's attire with a few adjustments to be made better suited for travel- thick leather boots and the foregoing of jewels and crowns for most… discreet tailorings that still were made from finer fabrics than Zero had ever before glimpsed.

King Haruka.

The party slowed to talk to one another, and Zero could barely glance away from the vampire royals.

They were warm and kind and joked with good humor with her godfather, even teasing Yagari as if they had met before as well.

Yagari for his part grumbled underneath his breath like a grouchy old man.

Zero turned away to glance at Kaito with wide violet eyes and a gaping mouth.

Kaito didn't tease her however- he looked just as shocked as she was at the relationship their elders displayed to one another.

"And who is it that clings to you so, Kaien?" Haruka teased and Zero tensed, her fingers squeezing Kaien tightly and no doubt wrinkling his tunic.

Kaien grinned, "This is my goddaughter. Zero, say hello."

Zero kept her eyes downcast as she relaxed her hold on the blond male.

"Merry meet, your majesties."

Juri laughed- a bright and cheery sound.

"Merry meet to you as well, Zero-chan. Please, call me Juri. We are travelling the rest of the way together are we not?"

Kaien nodded, "I take it you two are also headed toward the capital?"

"Yes, our son is to marry the princess tomorrow night after all." Haruka replied.

Haruka smiled at Zero and she smiled back slightly in reply.

He was a kind man- a kind pureblood.

Kaito had said there was no such thing when she was a child and he told her bedtime stories, but the Kuran couple seemed even kinder than the few other humans Zero had met before.

"Where is Kaname-kun, then? Did you all travel separately?"

Juri laughed, "Kaname went ahead with his party over the day, as for us…

"We wanted to get out for a bit- the council always has its eyes on us, you know. They even sent a watcher along in our own party!"

Haruka sighed, "I grow weary of it all, Kaien. But we only have till the Winter Solstice to keep it under control till then."

Kaien's brows rose, "You are passing on the throne to Kaname-kun so early?"

They both nodded, "We never had wish to rule, but our son has assured us he has great plans for our people."

Kaien nodded, "How is your Yuki-chan? The last I knew of her she had just been born."

Juri beamed, "Our Yuki has grown to be so beautiful, Kaien. It won't take long for her to secure herself a match when she decides to find love."

Haruka rolled his eyes at his wife's antics and the squeal Kaien made as Juri reached over to show a small portrait of her daughter off.

Yagari and Kaito sighed at the squealing and Zero rolled her eyes when it didn't stop for a few minutes.

Juri glanced at her again and the queen's eyes widened.

"Oh, Zero-chan is so pretty!" She squealed and Kaien picked it up again while Zero blushed and tried to turn away in embarrassment.

"Don't be shy, Zero-chan." Haruka smiled, "Beauty makes the world go round after all."

She nodded and couldn't help smiling back at the vampire king.

He had one of those infectious smiles and Juri's was even better.

Zero sighed softly as they came to the incline that displayed the Capital in all its glory in the valley below.

Though it was dark, the white marble walls of the city glimmered in the moonlight and at the center the castle was like a well… fairy tale castle.

White spires and blue shingled roofs made up the majority of it from what she could spot so far away.

But her attention immediately caught on the fireworks that had begun to light up the sky in bolts of red, blue, white, and golden orange.

"Oh, it's gorgeous, Haruka! We should have visited long before, if only to see it!" Juri cried and Zero smiled at the vampire queen's relentless enthusiasm.

But Zero soon began to nod off after that- not even the excitement of seeing the city in the throws of the first of a three night celebration able to keep her awake.

Not that she didn't try- she began to hum her song once more.

" _My heart is pierced by Cupid_

 _I disdain all glittering gold_

 _There is nothing can console me_

 _But my jolly sailor bold…"_

Her eyes shut as the voices around her softened and she fell into the land of dreams.

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 ** _A/N: As always, leave any questions in the reviews and I'll PM the answers. PLEASE please FOLLOW, and (!) REVIEW (!). My questions for you this chapter:_** _How do you like my depictions of Juri and Haruka? I'm kinda feeling like the story is diverging from disney's sleeping beauty more and more as the story progresses (I'm writing chapter nine right now), but I think it's going well despite that. But I want to know how ya'll feel, so be sure to include your impressions and opinions on anything in the reviews! **Thanks for reading! :)**_


	6. Pieces

_**A/N: Here is the sixth chapter of Breathe Me! Thank you so much to everyone who has responded to this story, I love hearing ya'll's opinions and seeing that other people are interested enough to follow and fave this story. Anyway, please enjoy :)**_

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Kaname perched himself on the couch in the guest apartments his party had been given upon arrival with only Takuma and Senri for company as the others had decided to scour the castle and its grounds for excitement.

Seiren would be of course no trouble, and Ruka and Rima would be fine no doubt, but Aido and Kain… they were bound to get into trouble before they were set to retire for the day.

Kaname sipped a glass of wine as his thoughts drifted restlessly- Haruka and Juri would arrive soon- they were also prone to ditching their party in favor of solitary rides- and dawn would be upon them in little more than two hours.

The city was just about to go to bed as well- if only for a few hours to gather the strength to celebrate for his marriage with their princess.

A knock sounded at the door to the apartments and Seiren entered, her plain skirts billowing only slightly from the breeze coming in via the open window.

She approached him and bowed, "Kaname-ouji."

He nodded, "Seiren."

She came out of her bow and her eyes flitted over to Takuma and Senri, but he waved her on anyway.

"The castle is alive with heavy guards and the staff is abuzz with excitement. Their princess is supposed to come out of hiding tonight."

"Hiding? They put her in hiding?" Takuma breathed, his brows furrowed.

Kaname answered.

"The princess is under a curse that the Kiryu's believe Rido placed upon her at her Naming. They must have put her in hiding to try and ensure her safety."

Seiren nodded, "She is to arrive before dawn along with a few of the Kiryu's most trusted hunters."

"Their names?"

"Cross Kaien, Yagari Touga, and Yagari's apprentice."

He nodded, he knew those names.

"What connection do they have to the princess?"

Seiren shook her head, "I have not been able to discover it- but they are supposedly the ones to have retrieved the princess from where they had hidden her."

Kaname waved her on.

"I have mapped the castle's entrances and exits and the main tunnel that runs beneath- but it will take more time to explore for the other tunnels that branch off. I have yet to face the King and Queen but they have been out and about tonight with guards surrounding the both of them. They have been attending to details regarding the celebrations and the wedding."

"Where is the prince while this is going on?"

Seiren didn't blink, "He has been in his rooms in the northern spire. It is believed he is bed-bound with only his nurse to care for him and the princess' maid who has been preparing her room at the top of the spire."

Kaname sat up and downed the rest of the wine, "Where will the honeymoon chambers be?"

"In the west wing. Though I must note that the wing had been closed for three generations. Apparently the staff has been cleaning it for weeks in preparation."

He cocked a brow, "Why the west wing?"

Seiren glanced over at Takuma and Senri and the two took that as their leave.

When the door clicked shut to their shared room she turned back to him.

"I heard one of the Queen's ladies in waiting telling the most recent addition to her collection that the Queen believes her daughter is the SIlent Queen reincarnated."

He stood and stilled at her words, "Truly?"

Seiren nodded, the implications of her admission invading his mind.

The myths surrounding the Silent Queen dated back to the century after he had gone to his sleep as an ancestor and had been told to even vampire children.

A pureblooded vampiress had fallen in love with a hunter male- the prince to the royal line at the time and she had left her position and wealth behind to marry the hunter but found that her love would never be received unless she became mortal and swore off any ties to her natural kind.

So she had- and with the help of the prince and his skill as a hunter of the magus class had shifted her form to that of a mortals.

They had married and lived happily ever after- except not really.

She had been made infertile by his spell and since she could not produce and heir the Kiryu prince was forced to divorce her for a new wife.

The then former Queen sought revenge and instead of seeking out vampires- found herself upon the steps to a dilapidated temple at the base of the Western mountain.

When night fell and moonlight descended she was approached by spirits who led her to an enchanted lake and told her to bathe in its moonlit waters.

When her skin touched the water her skin lightened to an icy white, when her hair touched it her hair turned to a steely silver, and when her head sunk fully beneath the surface of the lake her eyes were turned a vibrant lavender like that of her favorite flowers.

 _Zero._

 _Zero looks like her._

 _Is she the hidden princess?_

Kaname pushed the thought aside in favor of continuing the tale.

The spirits returned for the Queen and dressed her in rich lavender silk and white pearls and brought her before the temple which had been restored under the moon's glancing light.

She bowed before the temple statues, one by one, till she bowed beneath the largest- the chief god of the temple.

As she rose she found a spirit watching her from the statue's arms- a lavender snake.

"You have been displaced and disavowed, fair queen." The snake hissed, "You seek revenge, but will you pay for it?"

"Yes," vowed the Queen and the snake transformed into an adult male, almost a mirror image of the queen.

"I am the Serpent King, and I will grant you any power so long as you become my bride."

"Then let it be so," said the Queen, "But I want only to know love- everlasting love."

The Serpent King vowed to cherish her, vowed to grant her all that she desired.

They married in the temple and as his wedding gift the Serpent King summoned an army of spirits to raze the prince's castle and make the Queen royal once more.

They were said to have lived happily- but when the time came to produce an heir the Serpent King said to his wife, "I cannot bless you with life, for life comes at a great price. What can you offer to secure our line?"

"I offer my voice." The Queen secured and by the next season was with child.

Kaname blinked and came out of the tale, "But why would she think that? Other than the child supposingly looking like the Silent Queen."

Seiren shook her head, "I do not know, Kaname-ouji. But from what I have discovered she descends from worshippers of the old gods- and they believe the Serpent King was an old god."

Kaname went silent and Seiren offered no more.

He dismissed her and she departed the door clicking shut just as the main apartment door was tossed open to reveal an enthusiastic Juri in crimson velvet and Haruka rolling his eyes behind her.

"Kaname! Oh you should have ridden with us! We saw Kaien again! And Touga!" Juri cried joyously as she hugged him in greeting.

Kaname smiled and Haruka clapped him on the shoulder.

"Are you excited, Kaname?" Haruka asked as Juri darted out of the living area to explore the apartments.

Kaname sighed but nodded to appease him.

They were silent for a moment before Kaname glanced at Haruka, "Was there a girl with Kaien and his party?"

Haruka's eyes widened, "Yes, why?"

"Seiren said that the princess would be travelling with them."

They went silent once more as Juri darted back into the room.

"If so, Kaname, you may find yourself pleased after all. She was shy but quiet beautiful."

Juri flopped down on the couch and fanned herself, "It was so nice running into old friends."

She yawned and passed out moments later.

Neither male questioned it- Juri was just like that sometimes.

Kaname cocked a brow, "Not staying with your party?"

Haruka laughed nervously, "Not if I can help it. The council sent Asato with us."

Haruka shuddered, "I still don't quite understand how Takuma-kun can be related to such a hellish vampire."

Kaname shrugged, trying to distract himself from asking the question he wanted to above all else.

"Princess Lilly is supposed to be stunning according to her mother."

 _Lilly? That was her name?_

 _So it wasn't Zero._

"You met the Kiryu Queen?"

"Of course, the Kiryu couple greeted us upon our arrival."

"I wonder where Kaien went with his party- they were supposed to be close with them as well. Of course, _someone_ had to explore the city first." Haruka drawled, sending a pointed look at Juri's sleeping form on the couch.

The main doors to the apartments banged open and Aido blurred inside followed by Kain, Aido panting and keeling over as they entered the main living area.

Haruka grinned at Kaname and Kaname rolled his eyes while Juri slept on despite the banging as the doors slammed shut once more.

"Aido…" Kaname drawled and the short blond slowly regained his breath.

"H-hi." Aido panted and Kain slapped him on the back of the head.

"Your majesties," Kain greeted.

"I take it you rushed in here for a reason."

Kain and Aido shared a glance and shuddered, "Well… Nadeshiko-chan is scary."

"Aido…"

"What my cousin is trying to say is we uh… snuck into the prince's rooms…"

Kain waited to be admonished but Kaname waved him on.

"Anyway," Aido blushed, "Ichiru-ouji was really nice and all."

"So that's the prince's name." Haruka sighed, "I hope he is well?"

Aido nodded, "He's frail but his mind is clear. His healer wasn't pleased to see us but Ichiru-kun let us stay because he wanted company."

"Are you just explaining why you weren't here?"

"Uh…" Aido swallowed, "And to say the princess arrived?"

Kaname glanced at Haruka, "She's early."

"She was also asleep." Kain stated.

"Did you get a chance to look at her?" Haruka asked.

"No, she was covered up by a couple of cloaks. A young hunter carried her to her room and that was when her maid kicked us out." Kain rubbed the back of his neck.

Haruka laughed, "The maid got you bad, didn't she?"

The two cousins blushed.

Kaname waved them off and the two bolted into their predetermined room.

Haruka glanced at him, "You need to get to bed too, Kaname. You'll have a big night tomorrow."

They left it unsaid how unwanted the wedding was for him.

They left it unsaid that the bride wasn't supposed to last after the dawn as their wedding night faded.

As Kaname left to prepare for bed he found his mind heading back to the silverette in the forest.

She looked everything like the supposed Silent Queen- but he hoped she wasn't, for her sake.

She was young and her skin had been flush with life, her violet eyes glittering like precious stones as she scanned him.

So while he could say that marrying Zero would be far less objectionable than some cursed hunter princess- he knew better than to wish that upon her.

He laid down atop his proffered bed and for a flash of a moment his mind conjured up an image he couldn't bear to see as her voice sung like a whisper in his mind.

" _I'm here again, a thousand miles away from you. A broken mess, just scattered pieces of who I am. I tried so hard. Thought I could do this on my own. I've lost so much along the way…"_

 _He followed Zero's voice through a greyscale world of sharp unforgiving edges and dark corridors, chasing the melody through the halls of the Kiryu's castle._

" _Then I'll see your face, I know I'm finally yours. I find everything I thought I lost before. You call my name. I come to you in pieces, so you can make me whole…"_

 _He turned a corner and saw a flash as silk skirts flitted around the opposite end._

 _He bolted after her, but the corridors turned longer and he struggled to catch up._

 _She couldn't be here! She couldn't be her- she had to get out- she had to escape this._

 _Escape him and the rest of his kind._

" _I've come undone, but you make sense of who I am, like puzzle pieces in your eye…"_

" _Zero!"_

" _Then I'll see your face, I know I'm finally yours. I find everything I thought I lost before. You call my name, I come to you in pieces, so you can make me whole!"_

 _He blinked and suddenly the hall ended in a doorway and her skirts fluttered out as she breached it._

 _Her voice pulled him forward even as anxiety began to race through him._

 _He reached the doorway and grabbed hold of the door handle, ripping it open._

" _I tried so hard! So hard! I tried so hard!_

 _She had stopped in the center of a bed chamber and her back faced him._

 _Her hair hung in curls down her back, ending at her waist like a curtain of starlight._

 _Her dress was made of white lace atop layers of white silk gossamer, her back exposed to his needy eyes._

 _He had stilled in the doorway, but he slowly began to approach her as the end of her song began to leave her lips._

" _Then I'll see your face, I know I'm finally yours. I find everything I thought I lost before. You call my name, I come to you in pieces, so you can make me whole. So you can make me whole…"_

 _He turned her around in a single movement, her eyes fluttering closed as he kissed her._

 _He was not prepared for her sharp collapse when he released her and he barefly caught her as she fell to the stone floor._

 _His eyes widened and he slowly fell to his knees as blood began to pool out from beneath her lace collar, her lips gaping as she struggled for air._

 _No pressure would help staunch the wound and panic began to race through him as her eyes fluttered to meet his own._

" _Kaname…"_

 _Her blood began to slither out from between his fingers and she began to relax into his hold further._

" _Zero… Come on, Zero. You're not allowed to leave until you sing another song…" He tried and she smiled slightly._

 _Her hands clenched his suit coat._

" _Kaname, I-I…."_

He came to in the midafternoon, slamming awake as his body reared up as if to escape his dream.

No- the princess wasn't Zero- he wouldn't dare think of the beautiful silverette siren in the forest as anything but a peasant woman.

He couldn't.

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 _ **A/N: Leave your questions in the reviews and I'll reply as soon as possible. Please PLEASE please FOLLOW if you're interested and (!) REVIEW (!) your opinions/impressions/predictions. I really want to know what you think about this story and if there are areas in it that you think need to be**_ **developed. Here is my question for ya'll this chapter:** _What do you think of Kaname's dream? Was it just a dream, or was it a vision? Do you think this story will end up being a tragedy? I will say I already have this story planned out through the end- so you'll have to continue to find out more as the story unfolds._ _ **Leave your responses in the reviews! Thanks for reading! :)**_


	7. Diary of Jane

**_A/N: Here is the seventh chapter of Breathe Me! Thank you again and again to everyone who has responded to this story! I've made a playlist for this story as well, and I add the songs for each chapter as I write them, so you may get a hint at what's to come before a chapter has been posted. It's on spotify under the account name airrah11 listed as Breathe Me with my other playlists. (I'll link it on my profile as well, since I can't here.)_** **Enjoy _:)_**

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Kaien knocked on the door to the Kiryu couple's apartments, sliding within quietly before ghosting through the halls to the Queen's private office where he was to meet with his two oldest friends.

"Kaien," Queen Kimiko greeted with a warm smile.

Though it was warm he could spot the worry clear as day in her pale blue eyes.

Her husband stood from the chair by the fireplace, saluting the ex-hunter in welcome with a glass of bourbon.

"Kimiko, Shiro." Kaien smiled in return and Kimiko guided him over to the fireplace where embers popped and crackled underneath a roaring flame.

The Queen handed him a glass of lightbringer's white wine- his old favorite.

They all sat and were silent for a few minutes.

"Tell me about her." Kimiko finally commanded and Kaien sighed.

"Well she has become quite the good young woman," Kaien admitted, "She is as stunning as you predicted, Kimiko."

Shiro sighed, "Then I take it you agree with my wife- agree that she is the Silent Queen reborn."

Kimiko flinched at the title, performing a sacred hand gesture at the mention.

Kaien nodded at the Kiryu King's words.

"Yes, I… The signs have been there, Shiro. And I believe the Serpent King has known about her for some time."

Kimiko blew out a breath, "How? We took pains to hide her from him? We have not breathed a word of her location in his presence…"

"He is tricky, Kimiko. He is equally parts cunning as he is resourceful. And he has agents _everywhere._ " Shiro drawled bitterly.

Kaien blew out a breath, "I didn't dare send word about it, lest I draw Rido's attention as well, but the Serpent King's servants have watched over her since she learned to walk."

"That long?" Kimiko breathed.

"Yes," Kaien nodded once more, "But he has never made a move to harm her. I believe he has communicated with her via the bodies of some of them- he has left gifts to her since she was small- song pages."

"When was the last time you witnessed this?" Shiro asked, sipping his bourbon, the ice clinking against his glass as he brought it to his lips.

Kaien frowned, "I think they argued on the eve of her fifteenth birthday- I have seen neither hide nor hair of a snake near the cottage ever since."

Kimiko relaxed, "Good. Maybe he has lost interest in her."

"I doubt it," Shiro groaned, "You remember him the night we struck the deal, Kimiko. And to think we had escaped a worse curse when the healer said he was dying…"

Kaien's eyes widened, "You don't-you can't think…"

Shiro nodded, his voice grave.

"Yes my friend, we have housed the demon for nearly seventeen years now."

"No…"

"Yes, Kaien." Kimiko edged, "I know he may seem kind and charming- but he is more than what he seems."

She sighed, her eyes gleaming with unshed tears.

"We were barren, Kaien. We needed to produce an heir... so we struck a bargain. But when I had her in my arms I knew I could not give her to a mindless beast such as him- so we betrothed her to the Kuran Prince…"

"Kimiko," Kaien breathed, "I thought you sent her away because of Rido?"

Shiro shook his head, "The vampire made clear when she was to die- he wanted us to grow attached to her and feel her death keenly. He would not attack her before his curse played out."

"We should have told you, and for that I am sorry, Kaien." Kimiko whispered, her golden hair glowing beneath the firelight, "Rido is a threat of course, but _he_ is so much worse."

Shiro chuckled, "Rido is a vampire who plays a god, the Serpent King is a god who plays human."

Shiro ran a hand through his choppy grey waves, his crown long since discarded for the night.

"Not that it will matter come tomorrow night. Hopefully even Rido will be merciful enough to grant her a painless death."

"Have faith, Shiro…" Kaien's brows narrowed in concern for his friend, "She may survive her wedding night."

Shiro glanced at him with pained lilac eyes, "Don't play with my hopes, Kaien. I cannot afford to be disappointed like that."

Shiro stood and left the room, tossing his glass down into the fireplace where it shattered upon impact and brought the flames to new heights.

Kimiko ran a hand over her cheek and tried to dry the restless tears that had fallen.

She swallowed and gave a dry laugh, "Perhaps you are right, Kaien. I hope s-so."

She gave a hacking cough and Kaien poured her a glass of water.

"Thank you, my friend."

"How long have you been sick?"

Kimiko smiled slightly, "Just this past week, but I think it's only going to get worse. The healers say its not improving…"

Kaien nodded.

Kimiko sighed, "Well, if I die then maybe Shiro can still produce another heir for the throne. A viable heir with a fertile queen."

Kaien went silent, unwilling to encourage her on.

She had been sick several times throughout her life- the result of being grazed by a killing curse from a defecting hunter.

Kimiko stared at the flames, "I wanted her so badly- I wanted a daughter so badly…"

"Tell me, Kaien. Was she worth the trouble?"

"You'll love her."

Kimiko didn't look him in the eye.

"I won't have the chance. Not unless she survives somehow. Shiro and I will not be at the ceremony."

"What? Why not?"

She shrugged, "We can't do it, Kaien. Beside that, the ceremony will be small. Private.

"We have yet to discuss it with the Kuran's, but it seems foolish to give her a grand wedding when she'll be dead come morning. I-I can't be there, can't meet her, can't see who she is, Kaien. I'm not strong enough to let her go if she is as wonderful as you claim."

Kimiko's admission startled him, "That's unfair for her, Kimiko."

"I know," She brushed at her tear stained cheeks once more, "I don't want her to know."

Kaien looked at her in bizarre shock, "She had a right to know, Kimiko. I haven't told her anything about who she really is- she deserves to know she may not live to see the sun rise."

Kimiko shook her head, "Kaien, that would be cruel- to spring it on her like that. S-she should enjoy the night as much as possible."

Kaien looked away from the once proud queen- his closest friend once upon a time.

He and Kimiko had grown up together in the foothills near fifty miles east- she had been the Noble daughter of the former Kiryu King's closest advisor and when she had been offered up for the prince she had begged him to come with her, to be her advisor.

Kimiko and Shiro had married a year later and he had seen them fall in love, had seen Kimiko rise up to become the Queen their people deserved, a Queen he was proud to serve.

But looking down at her now- she looked like the frightened girl of fifteen she had been when the betrothal had been announced.

"Kaien, _please_. She can't know. Not about the curse and not about _him_. Promise me."

Kaien could never refuse her, they both knew that- she held power over him since they were children.

"I promise, Kimiko."

* * *

 ** _A/N: Really brief chapter- this will not be a normal POV in this story- but I felt it needed to be included. As always, leave your questions in the reviews and I'll reply as soon as possible. PLEASE please PLEASE FOLLOW for more and (!) REVIEW (!) your opinions/impressions/predictions- I really want to know what you think! My questions for ya'll this chapter-_** _Who do you think will be the main antagonist of this story- do you think Rido is as the curse giver, or do you think the Serpent King plays the bigger role?_ ** _I want to hear what you think in the reviews! Thanks for reading! :)_**


	8. Hi-Lo

_**A/N: Hi all! Here is the eighth chapter of Breathe Me. Thank you for responding to this story, it really makes my day! I'm going to go kind of quiet for a while as school is starting up, but rest assured, I will definitely keep updating. I'm on the tenth chapter of this story now, so I am still writing- just its going to be slower going so my posting is going to be slower than the pace I kept before. Anyway, ENJOY :)**_

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Zero blinked heavy eyes as she awakened atop what felt like a cloud, her head pillowed by a smaller cloud.

She sighed in contentment- if this was what beds in the capital felt like she never wanted to leave!

But now that she was awake she could spot sunlight pouring into the room where she lay, reaching out across white marble stone floors to encourage her to stretch her limbs and scan her surroundings.

When she did she was surprised to say the least.

She sat up and looked around to find herself within a large circular marble room with a sky blue coned ceiling- bright and cheery in coloring in the what appeared to be mid-afternoon sun.

The furniture was made of white woods, beautiful, charming, and clean beneath her fingertips as she stretched a hand out to grip the headboard to shift to place her feet atop the floors.

She let out a pleased sigh as her feet touched a soft grey fur carpet and she stood, rolling her neck and walking around the room.

She had been changed out of her dress in favor of a silk nightgown made of higher quality silk than they had been able to afford and she fingered it for a moment, wondering who had found it for her- who had changed her clothes for that matter?

She slung on a robe she found hanging off a neighboring chair- the robe made of he same icy white silk, except with lace detailing the hemlines.

Where were they in the city? She glanced out the window only to see no other buildings nearby- they were in the city weren't they?

Zero walked over to the window and her breath stuttered as she caught sight of the city beneath her.

She was in the castle? _Why_?

And she was not in the lower spires- no the spire she was within was the highest, at least the highest in this wing as she spied lower hanging spire-tops below her as she leaned against the windowpane with the curtains billowing in the soft breeze.

A cough startled her and she turned around to see a young woman dressed in a maid's uniform in the now open doorway.

"Hello, my lady. My name is Nadeshiko. I hope your room is to your liking?"

The woman was small and maybe a year younger than Zero with a thin frame and large brown eyes, her matching brown hair tucked into pretty braids laced with daisies.

Her face was dominated by her large brown glasses and while her words spoke true as bold, her eyes said she was hesitating- unsure beneath Zero's gaze.

"Yes, Nadeshiko-chan. Thank you."

Nadeshiko smiled, her teeth perfectly straight and just a small shade off-white.

"Excellent. I will go ahead and bring you some food for an afternoon breakfast. Kaito-sama has been waiting to speak to you so shall I send him in?"

Kaito- _sama_?

Zero nodded, but her brows were strung tight in confusion.

Kaito had promised her answers the day before- but all she had upon waking were more and more questions.

 _Why are we in the castle? Why do I have a personal maid? I don't understand…_

Zero sat down upon her bed and became lose in thought until another cough sounded- this one familiar.

She looked up to see Kaito's large frame in the doorway, hesitation clinging to him like a warm blanket.

"Kaito, what's wrong?"

He stilled but then released a long breath, stepping within the room and shutting the door tight.

Dragging a chair to the bedside he settled down in front of her and swallowed, taking her hands in his and rubbing them like he did when she was scared as a child.

But she wasn't scared- _he_ was.

"Zero… there are things none of us told you. We were ordered not to, but I should have told you anyway."

He gripped her hands tight, refusing to look her in the eye, his focus on her fingertips.

She blew out a breath, "Just tell me, Kaito. I won't get mad."

He scoffed, "I know you won't and that's what's so irritating."

He sighed, "You know how you had never heard of the princess before?"

"Yes…"

"That's because you _are_ the princess."

She blinked at him once, then twice.

"What?"

Kaito sighed and looked up at her, locking his brown eyes on her own violet pair.

"You heard me, Zero."

" _How_?"

Normal Kaito would have taken that opening to drop in a dirty joke that Kaien would sick Yagari on him for saying around her. But this was apparently some crazed alternate universe that led her almost-brother to utter such nonsense.

"I wasn't really that old at the time, but the Kiryu's gave you to Kaien to take care of- to put into hiding. I was being sent away with Yagari at the same time to begin my training and they decided that we would all set up residence in the cottage. I don't know why your parents gave you to Kaien, I don't think he really knew either, but I know they were putting you in hiding for your safety against the Kiryu's enemies."

Zero felt her hands quiver in his and she gripped his to still them.

"Then why are we here now?"

Kaito sighed, and she knew he really didn't want to be the one to continue on with the explanation, but he would- Kaito never broke his promises.

But there was an undercurrent in his voice- a hint that he knew exactly why they put her into hiding.

Zero didn't want to know, she decided.

She needed to at least become accustomed to being some hidden princess first.

Well, she thought that was all she had to be accustomed to for the time being- until Kaito began to speak once more.

"Because you are engaged to marry the Kuran prince."

A flash of the night before- the Kuran royals explaining they were going to the hunter capital to see their son married.

 _Oh._

 _Oh, no._

She froze, her head aching with the new information- this was too much, way _too_ much.

"Tonight." Kaito finished.

 _No, no, no._

 _Way too much._

Kaito tried rubbing her hands to calm her down when he spotted the shock overwhelming her features.

But she was too far gone- a memory flashing before her eyes that she had fought hard to repress two years before.

 _She sat in the glade, a violet snake coiled around her wrist, its black eyes staring deep into her soul._

 _She was not afraid of the creature- she knew he meant her no harm._

 _She had known him since before she could recall- Rune._

" _Happy birthday, Zero…" Rune hissed and she smiled, her other hand stroking the vibrant mirror like scales._

 _He slithered up her arm to curl around her neck, teasing and joking in her ears till the sun began to set beneath the horizon, the forest darkening and coming to life with the onset of night._

" _Zero, do you love me?" Rune asked, and she smiled._

" _Of course I do, Rune!"_

 _He went silent as she began the trek back to the cottage._

" _Do you promise to be mine?"_

 _Zero hesitated and bit her lip, "I can't be yours if I've never really met you, Rune."_

 _He had told her often how he lived afar but employed a familiar to speak to her- he claimed he was a mage training in a far off land and that he would one day come to take her far away- take her on the adventures she had always dreamed of._

" _One day we will meet, Zero. Just not yet."_

 _She frowned, "When will that be, Rune? I can't wait forever, you know. I am only human."_

 _He hissed at her in displeasure, "You are so much more than that, Zero. You are my only equal."_

 _She rolled her eyes, "Rune, I'm fifteen. I barely know anything of the world, yet."_

" _I fear I may be no one's equal." She whispered after a moment._

 _Rune tightened his coil around her throat and she gently tried to pry him away._

" _You are all I have ever wanted, Zero. You will not admit it, but you have been mine since you were born."_

 _She frowned, "I am no one's, Rune. I can be no one's but my own."_

 _He tightened further around her neck and she panted for breath, "Rune…"_

 _He was angry with her._

" _I won't let him take you away from me, Zero! Do not fall for that male's tricks!"_

 _She fell to her knees and struggled for breath, "Rune…."_

" _Zero, you are mine!"_

" _Rune… please."_

" _Say it, Zero."_

" _Rune, I-I can't breathe."_

 _She felt her vision blur around the edges and her chest pounded in pain as her heart rate soared._

" _Say it, Zero!"_

" _I-I'm yours. Pl-please, R-ru-une."_

He released her throat and she coughed hard, her hands wrapping around her neck as if to offer herself support.

 _When she looked around the forest floor for him he was gone and she wept in weariness._

 _It was a horrible end to a perfect day._

Kaito had moved to sit beside her and he wrapped her in his arms, disregarding the thin nightgown and wrap even as a blush lit up his cheeks.

Zero gripped his coat with one hand and his tunic with the other, curling into him like the child she was.

She had never thought of marrying- at least not for the next couple of years.

She had been too caught up in feeling imprisoned at times by the cottage- but oh, how she yearned for the cottage now, anything to offer her comfort.

She'd just learned she was a princess of all things- now she was to be married this very night?

Her head ached with stress and she gratefully tucked into Kaito's arms until Nadeshiko re-entered the tower room with a tray of food.

Zero pulled away at the brunette's entrance and blushed as her stomach growled despite herself.

Nadeshiko sent a glance at Kaito and he rose off the bed, refusing to look Zero in the eyes once more.

"Please eat, Lily-hime."

"Lily?" Zero asked and Kaito nodded, still not looking at her.

"It's your given name."

Zero swallowed.

It was _too_ much.

Kaito left then, leaving Nadeshiko and Zero alone.

The maid had Zero eat at a small table while Nadeshiko braided her hair with stalks of lavender,

"It's just till tonight, I'll curl your hair before the ceremony."

Zero nodded hollowly and the maid went silent.

After she had eaten her fill- not very much- Nadeshiko dressed her in a beautiful lavender gossamer silk fit and flare gown with long lavender lace sleeves that ended in points atop the backs of her hands. Thankfully, her coset was surprisingly comfortable beneath the gown, or else she might have thrown up by now.

"Your mother sent a necklace for you to wear." Nadeshiko said, placing a strand of silver pearls over her collar.

"Will I get to meet her?"

Nadeshiko was silent, "The Queen has not sent word for me to bring you to her, nor has your father. Your brother wants very much to meet you however…"

That's right- she had a brother- the Kiryu Prince.

"I would like to see him, then." She sighed and Nadeshiko nodded, pulling her charge to her feet and laying out a pair of violet satin flats to wear.

Zero donned them and then followed her maid outside the door to her bedchamber and down the rising circular stairs to the foot of the tower where two doors were placed.

Nadeshiko pointed to the one of her right, "That is to the main body of the castle, I ask that you summon me before adventuring out however as I fear you would be hoarded by all."

"Why?" Zero asked and Nadeshiko blushed.

"Everyone has been awaiting your arrival for a long time, Lily-hime. The people have long awaited a chance to meet you."

Zero blew out a breath, "Alright."

Nadeshiko knocked on the door on her left and entered, pulling the princess gently via her hand within.

The room was cavernous and filled with bright paintings and comforting warmth and Nadeshiko led her through another door to a bedchamber like her own, only this one was without window and Zero got the feeling could feel claustrophobic if she stayed for more than an hour from the stale air.

A roaring fire sat within a fireplace and abated the chill of the bedchamber with pleasant heat. A bed sat directly across from the fireplace with side tables piled high with books of all varieties from what she could see.

Her eyes darted behind her as they stepped further within to see large bookcases overflowing with books, a table centered between two.

"Thank you, Nadeshiko-chan." A male voice called and Nadeshiko blushed, bowing before she left Zero alone with her unknown brother.

Zero stepped further into the room and crossed he center, quickly discovering her brother laid out on a lounge draped in thick furs.

He peeked out at her, scanning her.

"Hello, Nee-san." He sighed after a moment, a smile blooming on features that were near identical to her own.

He sat up and she took her turn scanning him.

Cropped silver waves, partially tied back with violet ribbon. Skin as fair as her own, eyes as boldy violet even, though his spoke of mischief and charm.

He was thin and frail, but not nearly as close to death as she heard he was.

He waved a hand out to a chair in front of him.

"Sit! Sit! I've waited a long time to finally meet you, Zero-nee." He paused, "I hope you don't mind me calling you Zero, Kaito-kun told me they had never addressed you as Lilly."

Zero smiled, "Thank you…"

His eyes widened, "Kiryu Ichiru at your service!"

She laughed and he grinned, "So, Zero-nee… what has my elder twin been doing for her whole life? We have a lot to get caught up on, don't we?"

Ichiru charmed her quickly, his charisma was infectious- could drive anyone to tell him their secrets, she guessed as they talked an hour away.

He teased her freely, joked about his life at the castle- apparently he had been just as confined as she had been- and he gossiped about the staff and few aristocrats he had crossed paths with.

It was relaxing and as she sat with him she began to forget her worries, if only for a couple of hours.

But it all came to an end when Nadeshiko re-entered.

"Lily-hime, it's time to start preparing for the ceremony."

Zero stilled and immediately the worry returned in full force.

"Don't worry, Zero-nee. I will always be here for you." Ichiru soothed and she nodded.

He shuffled to his feet and hugged her to him and she coughed as a few stress-bourne tears made their way down her face.

He smelled like pine and campfires.

Odd, in one who had never left the castle.

"Go with Nadeshiko, Zero. She'll doll you up and wash away your worries. Nadeshiko;s good at things like that."

Zero nodded and he released her, saddling back over to the lounge to wrap himself in blankets once more and pick up a book.

 _Of Gods & Mortals_

She turned away from him and followed her maid away, taking deep breaths to still her heart.

Nadeshiko did as much as Ichiru claimed- she helped her bathe, massaging her into a state of peace as hot steam smelling of lavender and chamomile.

Her thoughts slowly began to calm until she found herself pulled into a train of who the Kuran heir must be.

She thought back to the male vampire she had met in the forest- could he have been one of the Prince's men, or the Prince himself?

He had a regal bearing about him and his voice had echoed with alluring power- like he had never before been refused.

He had been beautiful- so beautiful she had thought of nothing else but him while they had been alone in the glade.

He had not hurt her- had not attempted to take anything from her- she had relaxed around him.

 _Perhaps if he were the Prince it would not be so bad…_

But her luck did not quite seem to be rolling positively and she thought that it must be a pipe dream for her to be so lucky as to marry the unnamed male in the forest.

At least then she might not be marrying someone _completely_ unknown to her.

No, just _mostly_ , a small part of her snarked and she chewed her bottom lip restlessly.

"Be at ease, Lilly-hime." Nadeshiko soothed, "I caught sight of the Prince last night. He is quite handsome. I also caught sight of two of his men sneaking into Ichiru-ouji's rooms. Those two were troublesome, but I am sure the others in his party have more sense."

Zero released her lip, "What did he look like?"

The maid smiled, "It was hard to see in the gardens, but he had dark hair and perfect features. I am sure you will have beautiful children."

 _CHILDREN?!_

Zero felt faint at the idea- she was barely seventeen!

Nadeshiko worked her hands again and Zero regained her breath as the minutes passed.

A knock sounded at the door and another servant entered, "Nadeshiko-chan, I have brought the gown you requested."

Zero's maid didn't blink, "Thank you, Saya-chan. How long do we have?"

"The Prince seems to be being prepared now. The chapel is getting ready as well. I'd say you have two hours until the ceremony is to begin."

Nadeshiko nodded and the girl just seemed to notice Zero in the tin tub, "Lilly-hime! My apologies, I will leave you two alone to prepare."

Saya dashed out in a whirl of black skirts and white aprons and the door shut once more.

"Let's get you dried, Lilly-hime. I know just what to do…"

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 ** _A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Please leave me a COMMENT (whether that be your questions or predictions or impressions or opinions), and a VOTE if you enjoyed! FOLLOW for more if you want to continue on with this story! My question for ya'll this chapter:_** _How are you enjoying it? What do you think of Ichiru?_ ** _The wedding is in the next chapter! :)_**


	9. Breathe Into Me

**_A/N: Not back yet- not until I've successfully written two chapters of something or another instead of just finishing one off. Please let me know what you think in the comments and I'd love it if ya'll followed so you could see it through to the end. :)_**

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Kaname hadn't slept since he'd awakened from the nightmare, unease coiling like a viper ready and waiting for the perfect moment to strike to knock him off his feet.

But he couldn't afford it on tonight of all nights.

No, he had to keep up appearances.

He had summoned a bath and spent the hours he had till he was supposed to 'awaken' trying to keep firmly away from any thoughts of Zero- he wouldn't allow himself to ponder the identity of the princess he was to marry.

No, apparently his mind could not be trusted to not conjure up Zero's face, her voice singing soft melodies that he had no way of knowing if she actually knew.

" _And this is how it feels when I ignore the words you spoke to me, and this is where I lose myself when I keep running away from you, and this is who I am when, when I don't know myself anymore. And this is what I choose when it's all left up to me..."_

He cut the ghost song off and kept busy, or tried to at least.

He had brought only a book with him, figuring he would not lose sleep and spend his time immersed in the hunter's capital.

And it wasn't as if he had brought any of his work with him- he had cleared it all in preparation and what he hadn't Haruka and Juri had wrestled away from him, both of them deadset on freeing him up until the honeymoon was over.

That was going to be soon enough.

So he made due by reading, training a bit in swordmanship with Takuma when his closest friend had awakened hours later until Juri scolded him to hurry as he had wasted away 'precious time' in her words.

He was fine. He had an hour to prepare and clean up and make his way to the small temple where the private ceremony was to be held.

At least after the training session his thoughts had calmed and the tension had left his muscles.

He was startlingly relaxed as he bathed and scrubbed the scent of sweat and toil away, dressing quickly before leaving his room for the main living area of the apartment where his pseudo parents and his inner circle had gathered.

Only Seiren would be joining him for the ceremony as she was his attendant.

Juri looked annoyed at not being able to join, but the Kiryu's would not be present during the ceremony either.

It was to be only the High Priestess and temple servants as well as he and his soon-to-be wife along with one attendant from each of them.

It had struck him as odd, but not even Seiren had been able to give him a solid reason as to why.

Takuma had mentioned that it was an old hunter marriage custom rarely practiced- perhaps fewer than a dozen times within the last century even among the common hunter class.

Supposedly they thought it made them closer to the First Pair- the Divine Bride and the Divine Groom.

He wasn't familiar with the mythos surrounding it or the characters involved- had not ever thought that the Kiryu Queen's radical old god beliefs would be such a big thing for his marriage with their daughter.

He nodded to his party and Juri hugged him, Haruka clapping a hand over his shoulder before he turned and departed, Seiren hanging like a spectre on his heels should he require her.

Outside the apartment one of the Kiryu's Knights waited, the Kiryu crest emblazoned over his silver breastplate- four daggers descending toward the center of an ouroboros, but not quite breaching the snake's flesh- the Knight nodded, his face obscured as he guided them down the halls and toward the center of the castle to a hidden staircase behind a decayed painting in a small library.

He glanced at Seiren.

"This temple has not been used regularly since they built the new castle atop the old." She supplied and he nodded.

He followed the Knight further into the hidden passage until they came across a torch lit cavern.

A handful of steps away were the temple doors- large wooden doors depicting an origin myth perfectly preserved in stunning ornate carvings.

From a bright sun descended a beautiful woman who was falling to her death atop a sharp sword.

Below the sword a battle waged on a desolate field- one warrior standing out among the rest- the only fighter without helmet, blessed with godly features of his own.

His hand reached up, outstretched as if to catch her and prevent her death.

The Knight approached the doors and pushed them open, directing them within.

The temple was small and made of rough marble, a handful of short wooden pews all that lay in the way of the altar where several women prepared the marriage tools for the ceremony.

The doors shut softly behind him as he approached the altar.

He was partially in awe of it all- hunter ceremonies appeared more convoluted than even pureblooded marriage ceremonies given the practiced silence and amount of steps that looked like were to be involved.

A priestess stepped away, a black silk wrap veiling her eyes from view as she stopped a few feet away from him, a small cauldron in her right hand, her left hand waving a stick of incense over his frame.

The scent was indescribable and clouded his mind, awakening his beast for a moment before he forced it back into submission.

She stepped away and continued to help her sisters prepare.

Kaname kept silent until one of the other veiled priestesses stepped away to a piano that lay in the corner of the temple- its frame richety, but still retaining the beauty of its treasured make.

She sat at the piano's bench just as a knock sounded at the door.

He did not turn, keeping his eyes locked on the lit candles atop the altar, their smoke dancing alongside the lit incense that sat beside them in a burner.

The doors opened just as the priestess began to play a blissful melody atop the perfectly preserved keys of her instrument and he could smell the princess' perfume as she began to enter the room slowly- with apprehension.

Well, she wasn't quite alone in that apprehension.

He did not sense fear however- perhaps she had been well informed, or perhaps she was too shocked to make sense of what awaited her.

Awaited them both.

Lavender and chamomile notes greeted him first, but he did not glance at her.

He could spot a thick silver silk veil atop her head from the corner of his eyes and he doubted she could properly see beneath it.

A priestess anointed her with the same incense with care as well before replacing the burner back atop the altar

The eldest Priestess, still veiled, stepped forward and her sisters cleared the altar, the only one still active being the pianist.

"Kneel," She stated and he went to his knees atop a velvet pillow, the princess slower to do so, nearly kneeling upon the stone floors instead.

 _She can't see at all under that veil, can she?_

"Remove your gloves and take one another hand in hand."

The princess removed hers first, laying them at her knees and holding out her just barely quivering right hand.

He took it after removing his own, surprised when her hand stilled when he wrapped his own around hers.

He heard her release a breath, calming herself.

The High Priestess began a hymn, but all he could sense for most of it was the warmth in the Kiryu heiress' touch, and how her scent pulled him in the longer he was at her side.

It was clouded by her perfume- but he could still note the undertones that clung to her.

Heirloom apples and warm vanilla.

It was familiar- but he quickly shoved that thought aside as the High Priestess stepped forward and wrapped their hands in crimson silk and silver cord- the colors of their two houses.

She began a series of prayers- the first few in the old tongue, a language he had not heard spoken even a thousand years before he went to his rest.

Followed by the middle tongue, which he could barely recall as it had only been implemented after the old tongue was dead and truly gone from the main populace of the continent.

She finally switched to the common tongue and he heard the princess sigh in relief, able to clearly make out the prayers being made.

The incense hung thicker in the air now and his mind felt foggy with it.

"Stand." The Priestess commanded and they rose hand in hand, the younger priestesses retrieving the pillows and clearing the way for them to take the steps up to the altar in full.

"Face one another."

Kaname's expression did not shift as they both turned.

The veil atop her head was opaque and he could not discern a single one of her features.

She gripped his hand tight, only relaxing when they each took their opposite hands as well.

"Repeat after me, in unison." The Priestess bid.

"One in one, hand in hand, unity taken, unity granted."

" _One in one, hand in hand, unity taken, unity granted."_

The haze from the incense grew in his mind as the words were spoken and he could not properly hear the princess' voice.

"Light rise, darkness descend, unity taken, unity granted."

" _Light rise, darkness descend, unity taken, unity granted."_

The princess swallowed and gripped his hand tight once more.

"Give and receive, unity taken, unity granted."

" _Give and receive, unity taken, unity granted."_

Her voice was familiar, but he didn't want to know from where as it began to resonate with him on a primal level like only one voice had.

"Bounty toiled, bounty unfurled, unity taken, unity granted."

" _Bounty toiled, bounty unfurled, unity taken, unity granted."_

She blew out another breath and he could sense her steel herself, her voice regaining a firm edge.

"Cursed, blessed, unity taken, unity granted."

" _Cursed, blessed, unity taken, unity granted."_

Kaname sensed the end to the vows draw near and savored the brief few moments he had till he would know without a doubt who she was.

He had once hoped _she_ would be his bride, but thinking about what awaited her… he hoped he was wrong.

"I take you as you are, as you will be, and as you have been."

" _I take you as you are, as you will be, and as you have been."_

He had to be wrong, he repeated it like a comforting mantra but his doubts came crashing in, burgeoning on a fierce gale of anxiety in his stomach.

"Unity born, unity eternal. I am yours."

" _Unity born, unity eternal. I am yours."_

 _Please don't let it be her._

He offered up prayers to whatever gods there were, hoping- needing it to be an unknown woman that he held.

"Before you I stand, before you I am yours."

" _Before you I stand, before you I am yours."_

He blew out a breath, stilling as the final vow was offered from the Priestess.

"Yours now, yours forever more."

" _Yours now, yours forever more."_

Her voice had clung to the words longer than his had and he thought of how glad he was that only Seiren had accompanied him.

Seiren knew him best, and he did not doubt that despite how tightly he clung to his placid mask, she could spot his tells with her eagle eyes.

His servant would not breathe a word of this.

The Priestess dropped her hands from the rise they had taken when Kaname had not paid her mind, her voice bidding him to lift the veil that covered his bride and complete the vows with the customary kiss.

 _Please._


	10. White Foxes

**_A/N: Here is the tenth chapter of Breathe Me! I have the next chapter written up- it'll be brief, but it packs a punch, so look forward to that after this one! Thank ya'll for reading, and I hope you enjoy this one! :)_**

Zero had recognized his voice as soon as they began their vows- had sensed his unique presence as soon as she entangled her hand in his.

It was him- it was the unnamed vampire from the glade.

His name was Kaname- he was the Kuran Prince- her tentative husband.

He had recognized her as well, she could feel it in the way he clasped her hand in his- in the strength he offered her perhaps unwittingly.

Did I not wish it was him?

He was her's.

She felt her eyes well with tears that she didn't allow to fall in gratitude.

At least we've met.

She would laugh at herself for the sheer relief she felt in that moment later, she was sure.

Such a small thing to be glad for on a day that had been like no other- at least the night seemed to be far more forgiving, welcoming her with open arms as if to offer respite from the revelations that the day had brought.

And yet apprehension still raced threw her at what would come after the ceremony.

Consummation.

Nadeshiko had reminded her of what followed every wedding, but was especially important to royal weddings designed for an alliance.

But oddly enough she was not afraid of it- not knowing why but yet finding comfort in Kaname's presence, sensing he would never hurt her.

Why? Why am I so certain of him?

Zero blew out a breath after they completed their spoken vows, the words billowing in and out of her mind like a breeze through the large windows in her upstairs bedroom in the cottage.

He was achingly still, but did not grip her hands tighter than before and if she thought vampires were capable of being nervous, she'd say the Kuran Prince most certainly was.

She closed her eyes- they hadn't helped her since she had been veiled by her maid, the thick veil enshrouding her vision in near darkness if not for the sparse light that ascended via the open bottom.

He raised his right hand from her left, her right still bound with silk and cord to his left, and she felt him gently begin to lift up the bottom of the veil.

She would not open her eyes- not until he had removed it completely- she wanted to see him in full, see his reaction to her.

He gently threw it back over her head, and she felt it fall back against her hair.

She opened her eyes slowly, scanning up over his rich crimson coat with golden clasps to his face which seemed carved of stone in a perfect facade of collection.

But an indiscernible storm of emotion brewed within his dark eyes and she found she couldn't look away for even a moment.

All was silent in the room- the piano going quiet as soon as the vows had begun.

"Zero," He murmured.

She bit her bottom lip, "Kaname."

No one in the room moved, not the priestesses, not Nadeshiko, nor the grey haired woman dressed in dull toned finery who hung in the shadows.

He ran his free hand along her jaw, his eyes tracing over every dent and crevice in her face.

Does he find me lacking?

The moments of silence stretched on and Zero became worried as she waited for him to complete the ceremony.

She blinked and suddenly he was closer, bending down slightly to run his lips along her cheek before slowly ghosting over to the corner of her lips, his movements bringing a pleased shiver from her, her eyes falling closed as he kissed her gently- sweetly.

It was her first kiss but she was not hesitant as she responded, angling her head higher to meet him on a slightly more even basis.

It felt like he smiled briefly at her reply and he nipped her lower lip, drawing a gasp from her and allowing him entrance to begin a pleasurable assault- his free hand sweeping into the curls Nadeshiko had so carefully prepared only an hour earlier, his fingers tangling in her hair and pulling her closer as her own free hand gripped his coat's chest for support as her knees began to quiver ever-so-slightly.

It was only moments later that he began to release her slowly, pulling away, but not completely- his hand gently tucking a curl behind her ear before running a finger along her kiss swollen lips.

He stared at her and yet barely met her gaze as if to hide a piece of himself away from her.

But Zero could not bring herself to worry- she would have time to get to know her new husband, well, until the years of her human life came to an end.

She couldn't even bring herself to ponder how those years would go- her aging while he remained perfectly young for the rest of eternity.

No, all she could do was think of how she had worried about the consummation when now all she wanted was to continue that kiss until she had given him her everything.

Is this love? Is this what love is?

Zero didn't quite think so yet- she barely knew him after all- but feeling him caress her face with care had made her enthralled by the idea of one day loving him.

I could fall for him easily.

She thought of the smirk that had played on his lips in the glade.

Perhaps too easily.

The High Priestess approached them once more and unwrapped the cord and silk from their bound hands but even when they were free he didn't shake off her hand, instead tucking it into the crook of his elbow as they turned to leave the temple.

He glanced away from her after a few moments, his eyes darkening as a result of an emotion she had never spotted before in anyone's eyes.

She couldn't bring herself to look away from him but still took care to not trip over herself as they exited the hidden temple, a Knight leading them back into the main body of the castle.

It was silent in the castle except for the sounds of celebration coming from outside where everyone else must have gathered for it was like a ghost town- not a single soul present in the open halls except for the pair of them and each of their attendants.

The Knight led them down wide halls and aimless corridors before coming to a doored off wing- large wooden doors barren of anything except a large sword carved in the center of the two.

The Knight stopped at the door and pushed it open for them to step through, setting a firm post.

"Seiren," Kaname breathed.

"Hai, Kaname-ouji." The grey haired female bowed and tucked herself into the shadows of the door.

Nadeshiko didn't follow them either as they stepped into the western wing of the castle.

Her maid had said that the wing had been closed off for generations but as Zero finally looked away from her new husband she scanned the hall- it was as clean and pristine as any of the others she had seen.

Portraits hung every few feet along the walls, small tables beneath each portrait decorated with all manner of things, while the carpet beneath their feet was soft and lavender in tone, silver chandeliers with charmed candles lighting their way as a guide to the bedchamber at the foot of the center spire of the castle.

Nadeshiko had said the spire was locked off, but if it weren't Zero would have wanted to climb to the top to see the fireworks at their brightest.

They approached the golden door her maid had told her led to their rooms and Zero gasped as they came open of what seemed like their own accord.

Kaname told her the truth in her ear however, "A gift of mine, don't worry. We're not stirring any restless ghosts."

She smiled at his jest and they stepped within to find charmed candles already lighting the cavernous room.

The room contained very little though beside a bed and side table- only a wardrobe and a small dining table off to the side, and a pair of chairs by the fireplace.

The fireplace popped and crackled with open flames dancing into the air and warming the room pleasantly.

She pulled away after a moment to approach the fireplace, her hand keeping her skirts high enough in front of her so she wouldn't trip on the beautiful lace wedding gown.

She could feel Kaname's gaze on her and knew they both had a million questions for one another- but neither of them were eager to speak.

What Zero was eager to do was get out of the painfully tight corset that lay beneath her gown, however.

She flushed, knowing she'd need his help to escape the hellish contraption.

"You look beautiful."

He broke the silence and she glanced up to see him staring at her.

She blushed, "Thank you."

What do I say to him?

She couldn't think of anything with him looking at her like that- his focus purely on her.

It had stunned her in the glade as well, to be the focus of such a weighty gaze.

She stepped away from the fire and approached him, her blush deepening as his eyes never strayed from her.

Over his shoulder was a mirror that sat above the small dining table and she caught a glimpse of herself for a solitary moment.

Nadeshiko had done her well, her face was bare of any makeup yet somehow the maid had made her look fresh to the eye- her long silver waves loose in soft curls down to her waist and the dress…

How the dress had been made to perfectly fit her was a mystery to her.

Long white lace sleeves that ended in points atop the backs of her hands, a white bodice with a sweetheart neckline layered and layered with lace to be opaque until her skirts took over at her corseted waist in softer layers of silver silk with intricate white lace appliques and perfectly positioned pearls sewn in to catch light in just the right places.

It seemed silly to Zero to wear such a gown to such a private ceremony- a dress like this had seemed like it was meant to be seen when she donned it.

But as she glanced back at Kaname and saw how he couldn't look away from her she didn't care for anyone else's attention to be upon her ever again.

Kaname gently pulled the veil from her hair, letting it fall from his hand to the floor with barely a sound, running his fingertips over the silver tiara with amethyst stones embellishing the center- her absent mother had sent it for her to wear.

He was silent, and so was she as he pulled the tiara from her hair as well, placing it down upon the table beside the bed.

She reached out but he captured her hand in his, bringing it up to his lips to kiss lightly, his other hand wrapping around her waist and pulling her closer.

"You captivate me Zero- everything about you captivates me."

Her breath caught at the admission and his lips curled into a soft smile, his already perfect features ever the more charming.

He released her hand but instead of dropping it, she laid it atop his coat as he leaned in and kissed her once more.

Her breath left her as he lavished her with attention and she barely noticed his hands encompass her waist, one of them travelling to the back of her gown where the buttons that held the dress to her lay.

Her hands travelled up his chest to his neck, wrapping around to pull him closer to her as a pleasant warmth invaded her senses.

She moaned in a mixture of relief and pleasure as the gown turned loose under his touch, falling to the floor in a silken whisper, leaving her only in her corset and bridal undergarments.

He released her lips for a moment to chuckle against her cheek as he slowly unraveled the corset's ties, chuckling once more when she grumbled in displeasure at his lack of speed.

She breathed deep for the first time in hours as the laces were removed, and she practically tossed the offending underwear aside with a near smugness filling her- she would most definitely never wear that again.

Kaname laughed at her relief and shrugged off his coat to reveal a loose silken shirt with stunning golden embroidery.

Her eyes were captured by his own once more when he caught her staring and he took the moment to seize her up into his arms, the touch of his bare palms against her heated skin ensnaring her as she realized just how naked she was against him- all but for her stockings, garter, belt, and panties.

He walked back till he sat at the bedside, his fingers teasing along the soft curves of her form. He kissed her slowly then- as if he was savoring her.

In that moment she had no care for what morning would bring- no, her entire being was focused on the pureblood who was lavishing her with an affection she had never before experienced.

She could not even think beyond the feeling of his heat surrounding her in a warm blanket, drawing her even further into his hold.

Zero was sure that if he meant to drink from her she would give no thought to the side effects- she would offer herself up to him whole.

 ** _A/N: Sadly, no real smut in this chapter, I decided to keep this story on the rated T side of things (I know, a first for me too). Question for ya'll this chapter- For those of you who have read more than this story of mine- do you prefer the writing style in this story, or do you prefer one of my others (ex. Bleed Me, Missing, The Tower, The Devil, The World, etc...) please let me know, cause I'm still in this very experimental phase trying to find a good style. Also- anything else you can think of opinions, predictions, inquiries, suggestions, etc... all are welcome! Thanks for reading! :)_**


	11. Heaven's A Lie

**_A/N: Here is the eleventh chapter of Breathe Me! Thank you so much to those who have responded to this story, and I hope ya'll continue to enjoy as the story progresses! I am planning to update Breathe Me every Sunday from now on as I develop a more formal schedule from now on. Mondays will be for Bleed Me, Tuesdays will be for The Tower, Wednesdays will be for The Devil, Thursdays will be for Missing, Fridays will be for The World, and Saturdays will be for Yugen. Keep in mind, this is a new schedule- so it might be adjusted, and don't be surprised if it changes, or I go on another break if life gets in the way. But I do plan on sticking to this schedule as best I can._**

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Kaname pulled his slumbering wife close as dawn began to close in- maybe an hour or so off now, giving him a glimmer of hope that the curse did not run true, that the curse had been a fallacy somehow, even as his common sense drawled on and on about all the curses that had come true even within the past century alone.

He tangled his fingers in the silver curls that pillowed her head against his chest, their legs entwined perfectly- her human warmth sinking into him with a pleasant comfort.

He had laid with a few humans before- more than that when he had been an Ancestor- but he could not recall another woman's embrace being quite as welcoming as the one he now held.

He sensed Seiren's presence draw near- his servant stopping behind the door to the bed chamber as she awaited him with news no doubt.

He had hoped all news could wait till morn- till the apprehension was either soothed or proven true, but Seiren would not have come had that been a possibility.

He silently pulled away from Zero and she let out a hum of annoyance before turning away to face the fireplace, her modesty remaining intact by the silken bedsheets.

He couldn't help himself and his gaze remained on her for as long as it could as he dressed to greet Seiren in the wings parlour.

He shut the door tight to the bed chamber, the room darkening completely as the last dying embers of the fire gave way under the slight hallway breeze.

He followed his servant's aura to the small living room, both of them sitting across from one another before a lively blaze. The celebrations had died down an hour ago, and now only the sound of scant fireworks accidentally set off sang through the early morning air.

"Kaname-ouji," Seiren breathed, "Rido-sama was seen outside the city by the Kiryu's guard-captain."

At her words he cast out his senses, but sensed no one out of place- his wife was still asleep in bed and he couldn't pick up a hint of magic in the air, even within the hunter's capital it wasn't normal to catch mages at work, and his uncle was both a pureblood and a skilled mage, or at least so he heard- he had barely met the male.

He waved her on and she revealed all that she heard on her time in the city- the only juicy bit being that apparently there were rebellious forces- an uprising would that would come from an old hunter clan that once held ties to the former dynasty.

"Do you think they wait for the Kiryu Prince's death to strike?"

Seiren nodded, "They sounded as if they have been preparing ever since the Kiryu heir returned to the capital last summer."

Kaname nodded- they would aid the Kiryu's, the marriage alliance would prove beneficial to the Kiryu couple, but if they were infertile an couldn't produce another heir, their dynasty would die with them and it would be transferred to the Kuran's lot.

The hunter's would be in uproar- his parents should have thought better- this could lead to another war if they weren't careful. Haruka and Juri were too optimistic if they thought the hunter clans would all convert to pacifism in the span of a single human lifetime.

He sighed and waved his servant away for the day.

Seiren nodded and left in a whisper of skirts and he was alone.

Alone.

He blinked and cast out his senses- searching for Zero's heartbeat, her even breathing.

Gone.

He abandoned the parlour like demons were hot on his tail for the bed chamber, tossing open the grand doors to see the room flooded with light and his new wife nowhere to be seen- her robe missing, her gown and jewellery scattered in the same places they had left them.

Where? _Where was she?!_

He cast out his senses, but it was as if something was nullifying them- what magic was this? He scanned the room and narrowed in on the fire, tossing the water from the basin atop it and smothering the room in darkness once more.

But that was a relief- he was a vampire, a pureblood, and the dark was where he was strongest.

"Zero," he muttered, "Where did you go?"

Her scent was like a ghost in the room- showing where she had been, but it was a mystery as to where she went.

 _Unless…_

His aura lashed out, but no one was there to suffer his ire.

He tapped into the telekinesis that had been his gift for as long as he could remember and the hearth collapsed to reveal a hidden stairwell.

He squeezed through the tight hole in the ground to reveal a slightly more forgiving but still constricting servants passage, the stone revealing recently disturbed trail of dust and the scent that had become his addiction.

He slid through the corridors with light feet, tracking Zero's steps in what felt like gradually extending circles until he found another stairwell, this one wide enough to run through.

He bolted up the stairs, but they seemed to lead to the walled off tower, no doors or windows providing light or the faintest glimmer of hope till he reached the very top.

A gnarled wooden door creaked as it softly blew back in forth in a breeze and he cast out his senses, ripping the door off its hinges as he discovered what he least wanted to find.

 _Rido._

His 'uncle' pulled back with a bloody grin and dropped Zero to the stone floor, stepping back to the balcony as Kaname crept forward till he stood in front of the dying silver haired female.

Her breathing was quick and rasping, her violet eyes blinking hazily at nothing and she struggled for breath.

 _Zero..._

"Kaname-kun," Rido purred, "Don't worry I left enough for you too."

Kaname growled, but before he could attack, a pale hand ripped its way through the enemy pureblood's chest, ripping out the heart in a single grotesque movement.

Rido collapsed before cracking into shards of himself, leaving his nephew alone with his killer.

"Surprised? You shouldn't be- the signs were all there, _vampire."_

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 **A/N: Any thoughts? Leave them in the reviews/comments below! Question for this chapter:** What is your impression of this chapter? How do you think it could be improved if there was something you found needed work? **Any opinions appreciated! As always, thanks for reading!**


	12. Change (In the House of Flies)

_**A/N: Hey all! So I've been putting off coming back to this story because I really don't want it to end even though I know it has to soon. But never fear- it will have a sequel and I bet you can guess what fairy tale the sequel will be based around after you read this chapter! ;) I've also decided to do another fairy tale retelling VK fanfic series- this one is called Castles of Glass (Path One), and the other series will be Castles of Glass (Path Two). I haven't made up my mind what the first story in the next series will be a retelling of- I've kind of had a three way tie between Cinderella, Snow White, or Swan Lake and haven't been able to make up my mind about it. If you have a suggestion feel free to PM me or leave a comment down below! Anyway, enjoy :)**_

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Kaname took a step back from where the other male stood, sensing well the aura the Kiryu Prince kept close as if to hide the immense power that lay within his physical form.

Kiryu Ichiru was nowhere near frail or weak- nowhere near dying as he had been led to believe he was. His voice was deep with strength, even and charismatic, but not harsh- demanding others pay him attention in a way so rare to come across.

He leaned against the stone of the window sill casually, his arms crossed over his chest as one leg extended forward over the other.

He was dressed in black leather pants with a billowing black shirt tucked beneath, knee high black riding boots encapsulating much of his legs as he crossed them while never glancing away from Kaname.

The hunter Prince was tall, but he had met taller males before, and he had a swimmer's build- abnormal for hunters, who were usually built with more bulk to keep them strong over longer hunts and harsh winters.

Above anything else though, Kiryu Ichiru looked like Zero made masculine- though he came off as dangerous and Kaname would never call his new wife dangerous.

No, she was far too delicate- far too kind to be called such.

"You seek to protect my sister from me?" Ichiru mocked.

He didn't waiver from his stance in front of Zero until her heartbeat began to slow, her gasping breaths dying down.

Kneeling down beside her, he pulled her into his arms and stood back up.

"What exactly do you plan to do with her, Kuran?" Ichiru drawled, "Where do you plan on taking her? She'll be dead within minutes at this rate."

Kaname snapped his eyes back to the silver haired hunter.

"You could have killed Rido before he finished with her- you could have saved her." Kaname said, his voice devolving into a growl.

Ichiru cocked a brow, "I had my reasons for waiting."

Kaname made to leave the room, snapping to a stand still at his next words.

"I still can save her."

He could sense the smirk in the silveret's voice, the taunting tone, and he itched to beat it off of his smug face, even as he fell back a step.

He had inhaled roughly at his admission a moment later as his words registered, the stale air of the tower like sandpaper in his mouth.

"What exactly do you want?" He asked and Ichiru looked bemused.

"You care for her already?"

No, he didn't- or at least he didn't think so.

Infatuated, maybe, but he certainly didn't love her.

Ichiru seemed to read his thoughts from his expression and didn't wait for a reply.

"I'll make you a deal," He purred, "I will make sure she survives this but you will give me a life of your own making in return."

Kaname frowned, "Be more specific."

"I want your firstborn."

His first thought was to reject the bargain- it was too steep a price to pay for someone he was just infatuated with.

But he glanced down at Zero, whose head had fallen back, her pallid face completely revealed to him. Her breathing had slowed down and was almost silent even to him as her heartbeat died in her chest just as light began to breach the spire as the sun began to rise far off in the east.

She was beautiful and everything about her called to him in a primal way he had never before experienced, as if she were made just for that purpose- to lure him in.

But could he really strike up a deal with this being who played a hunter? A being who was far beyond that if his aura was to be believed?

"You would let her die?" He asked after a moment and Ichiru shrugged.

"She already has. And even in death, she is still mine."

"Then why offer me this?" He growled out, frustrated.

Ichiru shrugged once more, "Entertainment."

He sighed, "Even knowing she will always be mine I am left wondering if she would really choose me if there was another option."

"And how does the child factor in?"

The silveret stood up to his true height, relaxing his arms as he approached Kaname, stopping to stand three feet away, both of them staring at one another for any signs of weakness.

"You would not ask the serviceman to service you without paying your dues- I offer you a service only I can and I deserve equal compensation for it."

Was she really worth such a deal?

If brokered this he could never reveal it to anyone, he would be forced to fake a stillbirth to not just his circle, but his family- including Zero herself.

But he would have time to formulate a plan to get out of trading their child away- they had years before anyone would expect them to produce an heir of any sort and Zero was only seventeen- they would be allowed at least a year to bond as a married couple before anyone thought to pressure either of them for children...

They would have time.

Kaname blew out a breath.

"I accept." He said and Ichiru's eyes darkened while the barest hint of a grin lit up his face.

"Excellent."

Ichiru snapped out a hand and latched onto the pureblood Prince's arm, his touch hot like fire as the tower spire faded to shadows around them, collapsing after a moment to reveal the inside of his honeymoon suite, the windowless room brightened with warm firelight once more, almost as if his damage to the hearth had been healed.

"Lay her on the bed and then step aside."

Kaname hesitated for a moment before steeling himself and gently placing her on top of the blankets, stepping away after he managed to look away from her dead expression.

He swallowed down his apprehension as Ichiru took his place at her bedside, the male placing a hand atop her breast and over her forehead, closing his own violet eyes as he exhaled.

Nothing appeared to happen for several long moments until the flames in the fireplace snapped high and bright, garnering the vampire male's attention briefly before his gaze flipped back to the bed when he heard Zero scream.

Her eyes had snapped open, wide and pained as her skin turned flush with life once more, her heartbeat pounding in his ears as it returned full force.

Her hands clenched at the blankets as she screamed in pain and he forced himself to remain still as Kiryu worked and not pull him off of her.

Her screams didn't stop for several moments until suddenly she passed out and Ichiru stepped back, his fingertips grazing her skin as if he hesitated to let her go at all.

Ichiru glanced up at him and for a minute Kaname thought the hunter Prince would attack him- fury darkening his violet gaze as his aura radiated a blistering cold.

But the male merely glanced away with a harsh snort, heading for the door with a slight shaking of his head.

"Have her visit me tomorrow morning and tell no one of what truly transpired."

"What do you propose I tell them? Do not take me for an idiot, Kiryu-kun. I can sense her pureblood aura, quiet as it is now. And I imagine it will only grow."

It was true, he could sense the difference in Zero's normally quiet and discreet aura- it had grown volumes even in the few minutes after Ichiru had drawn away.

Beside that, her features had already begun to to glow in the way that only a female pureblood's could- her humanity was fading more and more as the moments passed, the small imperfections in her form disappearing one by one as the minutes ticked by.

By the time the maid came to check on them she would be completely changed from how she had been before and a part of him mourned what she would miss because of her change in race.

 _She would be dead if I hadn't agreed- existence as a pureblood is far better than that as a corpse._

Or at least so he reminded himself.

Ichiru narrowed his eyes on him with bitter contempt but looked away after a moment, sighing.

"Tell them Rido bit her and nearly drained her. You killed Rido and realized something was off- that Rido had unlocked her sealed pureblood side accidentally as he drank from her and that you then fed her your blood to save her."

He sighed once more, "That good enough? Good, now if you'll excuse me…"

He turned again and headed for the door, tossing a rough goodbye and a wave as he left, leaving Kaname alone with Zero as she slept.

He gave a harsh exhale as he approached her sleeping form, sliding into bed beside her and running a hand through her silver tresses as she curled into his side as she seemed to sense his familiar presence.

He hoped he had made the right decision, not just for himself but for her as well.

But had he really made the choice in good faith, or had he been predestined to agree to the hunter Prince's bargain?

Had he actually had to make the bargain? Would Kiryu Ichiru really have left his twin to die at such a young age? More importantly- what were the hunter heir's motives?

He had dozens of questions and he would have them all answered before the year was out, but for now he shut his eyes to wait for Zero to awaken.

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 _ **A/N: Next chapter from Zero's point of view! Side note: This was probably my least favorite chapter for this story and I hate it passionately, so if you didn't like it you're not the only one and it makes me more than a little frustrated that it's one of the last chapters. Next chapter will be longer and will probably be the last chapter of this first installment, though there may be an epilogue as a bonus from their actual honeymoon, I haven't made up my mind on that. Regardless, thank ya'll so much for reading and please don't be afraid to let me know what you think below!**_


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